AwardsWatch - Film Festivals

‘Luchadoras’ review: A haunting film that goes behind the mask with the female wrestlers of Juárez [AFI Docs]

Carson Timar June 26, 2021

Luchadoras is a powerful look at standing up to threats and finding pride and power in one’s identity and strength. A fundamental piece of Mexican... Read More

Anthony Bourdain stars in Morgan Neville's documentary, ROADRUNNER, a Focus Features release. Credit Courtesy of CNN / Focus Features

Review: ‘Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain’ honors the legacy and vibrant spirit of a brilliant but broken soul

Dewey Singleton June 16, 2021

When one thinks of Anthony Bourdain it’s easy to fall in love with the image of a towering man who went to all corner of... Read More

New Directors/New Films Festival review: In ‘Short Vacation,’ the end of the world is just the beginning

Amelia Merrill May 7, 2021

If you knew that the number of photos you could take on your phone on any given day was limited, and that instead of deleting... Read More

New Directors/New Films Festival Review: ‘All Light, Everywhere’ teaches us how to see

Amelia Merrill April 30, 2021

Theo Anthony’s experimental documentary All Light, Everywhere confronts you with images you might not want to see: An inside look at someone’s sinewy optic nerve;... Read More

Raya seeks the help of the legendary dragon, Sisu. Seeing what’s become of Kumandra, Sisu commits to helping Raya fulfill her mission in reuniting the lands. Featuring Kelly Marie Tran as the voice of Raya and Awkwafina as the voice of Sisu, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Raya and the Last Dragon” will be in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on March 5, 2021. © 2021 Disney. All Rights Reserved.

Film Review: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is a personal, pulse-pounding adventure

Film Festivals

Film Review: ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ is a personal, pulse-pounding adventure

Nguyên Lê March 1, 2021

Kumandra, the setting of Raya and the Last Dragon, is fictional, but it is also not. It is not on any map, but one can... Read More

Lance Henriksen and Viggo Mortensen appear in Falling by Viggo Mortensen, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Brendan Adam-Zwelling.

All photos are copyrighted and may be used by press only for the purpose of news or editorial coverage of Sundance Institute programs. Photos must be accompanied by a credit to the photographer and/or 'Courtesy of Sundance Institute.' Unauthorized use, alteration, reproduction or sale of logos and/or photos is strictly prohibited.

Amplify! Film Fest review: Viggo Mortensen’s directorial debut ‘Falling’ is misguided and reductive

Alistair Ryder November 13, 2020

It’s truly remarkable just how much Viggo Mortensen has mellowed out over time. After reinventing himself as a darling of the gritty arthouse following the... Read More

NEWFEST Reviews: ‘Cowboys,’ ‘Rūrangi,’ ‘The Strong Ones,’ and ‘Tahara’

Sara Clements October 28, 2020

In her second dispatch of NewFest, Sara Clements reviews Cowboys, Rūrangi, The Strong Ones and Tahara. Don’t miss her first round of reviews of Dating... Read More

NEWFEST Reviews: ‘Dating Amber,’ ‘Forgotten Roads,’ ‘ Monsoon,’ ‘ Two of Us,’ and ‘Uncle Frank’

Sara Clements October 22, 2020

David Freyne’s Dating Amber takes gays back to high school. A charming comedy of a relatable experience where sex is on everyone’s mind and where... Read More

AFI FEST Review: The brilliant ‘Belushi’ captures a complicated artist by those who knew him best

Catherine Springer October 18, 2020

One of the biggest problems with fame, I would imagine, is the sense that, because everyone knows who you are, they think they know you.... Read More

AFI FEST Review: ‘Sound of Metal’ is thunderous

Catherine Springer October 18, 2020

Writer/director Darius Marder’s new film, The Sound of Metal, explores, quite beautifully and somewhat elegiacally, how losing all control of your life can be the... Read More