International Films

2025 Films, Documentaries, International Films, Interviews, Uncategorized

10 min read

“To Witness Is to Remember”: An Interview with Emily Mkrtichian

by Rebecca Martin

October 18, 2025

In 2018, filmmaker Emily Mkrtichian began work on what she envisioned as a quiet, contemplative documentary—a portrait of women in Artsakh, the ethnically Armenian region nestled in the South Caucasus,

Veronica Miles in Piazza San Marco, Venice
Directing, Film Festivals, International Films

20 min read

Spritz & Sofia: My First Venice Film Festival

by Veronica Miles

October 10, 2025

In 2019, I crashed the Cannes Film Festival. Well — not really. I went legitimately with a pass I applied for (if you work in the film industry, you usually

2025 Films, Awards, Coming of Age, Cult Classic, Directing, Drama, Horror, Indie Films, International Films, Interviews, Now Playing

11 min read

Attracted to Abstraction: Lucile Hadžihalilović on “The Ice Tower”

by Matt Fagerholm

September 30, 2025

“If you can’t play with the language, you are not reinventing the language.” This is what Argentine director Gaspar Noé told me when I interviewed him fifteen years ago about

Film Festivals, International Films, Interviews

8 min read

“Don’t Call Me Mama”: Nina Knag on Power, Vulnerability, and Pushing Boundaries

by Davide Abbatescianni

August 8, 2025

Norwegian helmer Nina Knag makes her feature debut with “Don’t Call Me Mama,” which world-premiered in the Crystal Globe Competition of this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 4-12).

2024 Films, Coming of Age, Directing, Film Festivals, Indie Films, International Films, Letterboxd

23 min read

An Aliveness Behind the Eyes: Shuchi Talati and Preeti Panigrahi on “Girls Will Be Girls”

by Matt Fagerholm

February 21, 2025

I have always had a fondness for coming of age films that vividly recall how intense our emotions are during pivotal moments of growth and transition. In many ways, we

Horror, International Films, Interviews, Sundance

7 min read

Sundance 2025: Laura Casabé on “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake”

by Rebecca Martin

February 14, 2025

When I met Argentinian filmmaker Laura Casabé at Sundance Film Festival for our interview, she immediately gave me a hug. It was a great way to start our conversation. I

Film Festivals, International Films, Interviews, Sundance

8 min read

Sundance 2025: Amel Guellaty, Eya Bellagha and Slim Baccar on “Where the Wind Comes From”

by Rebecca Martin

February 13, 2025

It was an honor to speak with Tunsian filmmaker Amel Guellaty about her feature film “Where the Wind Comes From.” The film is about two young people in Tunsia, Alyssa

2025 Films, International Films, Interviews

6 min read

Renate Reinsve, star of “The Worst Person in the World,” on her stunning new film, “Armand”

by Rebecca Martin

February 11, 2025

Getting to interview one of my favorite actors, Renate Reinsve, was a certifiable “pinch me” moment. She starred in one of my all-time favorite films, 2021’s “The Worst Person in

International Films, Interviews, Sundance

10 min read

Sundance 2025: Dea Kulumbegashvili on “April”

by Rebecca Martin

February 10, 2025

One of the great honors I had at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was the time I got to spend with Georgian filmmaker Dea Kulumbegashvili. We spoke about the genius of her

Film Festivals, International Films, Interviews, Sundance

13 min read

Sundance 2025: Nadia Fall, Ebada Hassan and Safiyya Ingar on “Brides”

by Rebecca Martin

January 29, 2025

Shortly after 9/11, two things happened to me. I was 18 and in college at the time. And I was starting to feel different than everyone else. My mental health

Film Festivals, International Films

11 min read

Female Portraits in Kurdish Cinema: Surviving as a Shadow in the World of Men

by Elena Rubashevskaja

January 16, 2025

At the end of 2024, I got the chance to visit a destination that confused my insurance agent a lot: Iraqi Kurdistan, where I was invited as a juror for

2024 Films, Chicago International Film Festival, Film Festivals, International Films, reviews

9 min read

CIFF 2024: “Nightbitch,” “Grafted,” “We Were Dangerous,” “Toxic,” and “The Missile”

by Emily Jacobson

October 31, 2024

This past year has seen a wave of female directed movies – whether it be horror, drama, or comedy – fixed upon the female body. Unsurprisingly, with the political climate