Sundance 40: Thea Hvistendahl on her bold zombie film “Handling the Undead”
When you watch “Handling the Undead” you have to deconstruct your way of viewing the film. The film involves dead people and it touches on tropes of zombie films, but it’s not necessarily about the “zombies,” it’s about the loved ones and their relationship with these beings. It’s about the left behind, and how we […]
Sundance 40 Review: “Handling the Undead” feasts on existentialism in this unconventional horror drama
“Handling the Undead,” directed by Thea Hvistendahl, mainly follows a trio of isolated vignettes. Anna (Renate Reinsve) and her father, Mahler (Bjørn Sundquist), mourn the loss of her young son. Anna’s grief is distant and angry, while her father’s is desperate and emotional. When visiting the boy’s grave, Mahler begins to hear a knocking from […]
Sundance 40 Review: An Intersectional Exploration of Transmasculinity and Identity Makes “Desire Lines” A True Standout
On Friday, January 19th, the Utah House of Representatives voted to advance a restrictive anti-trans bill outlawing trans people from using bathrooms aligning with their gender identity. It will now go to the Republican controlled senate for approval. Three days after the advancement, Jules Rosskam’s film “Desire Lines” premiered in Park City, Utah. A multilayered […]
Sundance 40: Kate Jean Hollowell on her U.S. Fiction Jury Award-Winning Short Film, “Say Hi After You Die”
“I hope people not only see, but also feel hopeful that this isn’t really the end, in the end, and that we are all just friends walking each other home.” –Kate Jean Hollowell I loved this interview. It was actually very cleansing because I’ve also recently dealt with grief. Kate Jean Hollowell’s short film “Say […]
Sundance 40 Sponsor Spotlight: The Gene Siskel Film Center
As Chicago’s premier art house cinema, the Gene Siskel Film Center is proud to support Cinema Femme’s unique coverage of the Sundance Film Festival. We believe the film industry is better when it includes a wide range of perspectives from filmmakers as well as journalists, and look forward to reading Cinema Femme’s unique take on […]
Sundance 40 Review: Klaudia Reynicke’s “Reinas,” a moving ode to sisterhood and motherhood
As children, there is little we perceive about the outside world that doesn’t directly impact our own inner world. Sacrifices made by parents go unnoticed. The danger we put ourselves in often doesn’t make itself clear to us until later in life. To mature is to shed these shades of self-absorption, to open our eyes […]
Sundance 40: Nora Fingscheidt directs Saoirse Ronan in her latest feature, “The Outrun”
The edge is where I come from. The edge is my home. Amy Liptrot, author of ‘The Outrun” As women, we are not perfect, just like we are imperfect as people. But the saving grace of our imperfections is the empathy we have for other people and ourselves. This film, “The Outrun,” directed by Nora […]
Sundance 40 Review: June Squibb Shines in the Splendid Comedy, “Thelma”
Writer-director Josh Margolin’s feature debut, “Thelma,” is a splendid gem of hilarity and heart. Thelma (June Squibb) is a 90 year old woman, who after falling victim to a phone scam that costs her $10,000, is determined to get her money back by any means necessary. Her close relationship with her grandson, Danny (Fred Hechinger), […]
Sundance 40: Raha Amirfazli & Alireza Ghasemi hopes their film “In the Land of Brothers” will bring empathy for refugees
“In a world that is struggling with the daily displacement of many refugees that end up in an unfamiliar environment in hopes of building a new life, most media suggest that the immigrants think differently, possess values distinct from others, and consequently, may pose a threat to societies. We intend for this film to show […]
Sundance 40: Klaudia Reynicke reconnects with her roots in her family drama, “Reinas”
Film is an art form that brings reflection, broadens the mind, and allows for a direct connection to artistic vision. Working hard and establishing a framework helps me in my role as a filmmaker. But, embracing doubt while respecting my artistic vision is fundamentally crucial in this profession. Klaudia Reynicke Klaudia Reynicke grew up in […]
Sundance 40: Editor in Chief’s Top Ten Sundance Films of All Time (1984 – 2023)
This week marks the Sundance Film Festival’s 40th edition. In celebration of the Sundance Institute’s rich history, I’m spotlighting my all-time top 10 favorite films that have played at the Sundance Film Festival over its first four decades. Discover the new films that may be sliding into your top 10 by purchasing a ticket to […]
Sundance 40: Kicking off January with “Thelma” star June Squibb and producer Zoë Worth
This interview is dedicated to my grandmother Christine Ada Martin, who is going to be 99 next month on February 15th. June Squibb started as a leading lady on the stage. She was mostly a theater actress, but when she transitioned into film, she memorably played supporting characters over a span of a seventy-year career, […]