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 […]
BEYOND BARBIE: Ten must-see films now playing, including the new Joyce Carol Oates doc, Linh Tran’s feature debut, and the sensual coming-of-age gem “Piaffe”
Besides Greta Gerwig’s history-making “Barbie,” which became both the highest-grossing film of the year as well as the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, another of the most pleasurable experiences I recently had in a movie theater was seeing Emma Seligman’s “Bottoms.” Every frame and line in that film is LOL. If you go with […]
Slamdance 2023: Wendy McColm on Their Audacious Triumph, “Fuzzy Head”
“To understand my work,” David Lynch once told a bewildered moviegoer in Chicago, “you must follow the emotion. Because if you follow the buttermilk, you’ll end up going to the dairy.” The same rule of thumb could be applied to writer/director Wendy McColm’s sophomore feature effort, “Fuzzy Head,” the first thoroughly captivating cinematic work I’ve […]
Renaissance woman Namakula inspires women to follow their dreams: an interview with Agent 99 founder and CEO
I met Namakula at the Girl Power Film & Media Summit in Brooklyn this past March. The Girl Power Film & Media Summit is a celebration of Women’s History Month. The summit inspires and empowers women in film and media with insightful conversations, motivating workshops, and opportunities for networking. Namakula participated in one of the […]
Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss’s ‘The Red Line’ explores a police shooting and its aftermath
“The Red Line” follows three Chicago families after a tragedy causes them all to consider how race and racial biases affect their lives. It begins after a white cop shoots and kills an unarmed African American doctor. “The Red Line” is based on their 2011 Chicago hit play “A Twist from Water.”