Watch: Award-Winning Swiss Animated Short Film 'The Lonely Orbit'

Loneliness… we all experience it, we all dread it. And it's especially tough now with the pandemic, everyone separated at home. This beautiful animated short film from Switzerland called The Lonely Orbit is about loneliness and everyone's eternal struggle with it. The filmmakers visualize this powerful feeling following a satellite drifting in orbit quietly, lonely, around Earth. And the story wonders what happens one day when a satellite tech accidentally forgets to keep the satellite in working order and it comes crashing down to Earth. The animation in this short is utterly gorgeous - it most recently screened at last year's Annecy Film Festival in their short film competition (and it originally premiered in Switzerland at the Neuchâtel Fantastic Film Festival in 2019). I adore the color palette (that blue!!) and the various object and character designs. It's by the Swiss animators Team Tumult and is now available to view online thanks to Short of the Week. Enjoy. ›››

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Official Trailer for Carlos López Estrada's Ensemble Film 'Summertime'

"Have you forgotten where we are!?" Good Deed Ent. has released an official trailer for Summertime, one of the Opening Night films at last year's Sundance Film Festival. This ensemble piece features poetry and performances by 25 young Angelenos, in stories that intersect and intertwine as they make their way around the city. Born of the director's mind-blowing interaction with a workshop where performers from across the City of Angels recited fearlessly personal texts, the project was structured so that their voices could shine as well as coalesce in the context of a larger, unified, and gloriously moving narrative experiment — part urban musical and part sociological art. It is a showcase of young spoken word artists directed by Blindspotting's Carlos López Estrada, who carefully brings together their voices in one vibrant feature film. Starring Tyris Winter, Marquesha Babers, Maia Mayor, Austin Antoine, Bryce Banks, Amaya Blankenship, Bene't Benton, Gordon Ip, & Jason Alvarez. It's a thoroughly upbeat and outspoken film, with a few jaw-dropping scenes. ›››

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Sundance 2021: 'Censor' is a Blood-Soaked 80s Ode to Video Nasties

Before blood-dripping horror movies became an integral part of our pop culture, there were "video nasties." The term was born in the UK and referred to the gory, violent films, mostly C-level creations, distributed on VHS tapes and heavily criticized by the press, government, and society. While some people basked in said horrors, at the time the UK government feared for children's safety and the effects that these films could have on individuals. In the Sundance premiere Censor, directed by Prano Bailey-Bond, Enid (played by Niamh Algar) has an unusual job. Depending on the amount of violence in each film, her assignment is to determine whether the horror film passes or is rejected. Her days are saturated with scenes of blood, gore, and oftentimes rape. But believes thoroughly in her work. Enid prevents individuals from seeing too much, continuously thinking about their mental health and psyche. She is the titular censor, and she thrives on it. ›››

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Official Trailer for Will Wernick's Pandemic Thriller 'Safer At Home'

"Tell me what to do? What do I do?!" Vertical Entertainment has released the official trailer for Safer At Home, yet another new pandemic-inspired Zoom thriller written and filmed during the pandemic last year. This is the latest from filmmaker Will Wernick, who last directed the two escape room films Escape Room and No Escape just before this. Two years into the pandemic, a group of friends throw an online party with a night of games, drinking and drugs. After taking an ecstasy pill, things go terribly wrong and the safety of their home becomes more terrifying than the raging chaos outside. Sounds a little too crazy to be any good. The films stars Jocelyn Hudon, Emma Lahana, Alisa Allapach, Adwin Brown, Dan J. Johnson, Michael Kupisk, and Daniel Robaire. This looks super cheesy and extra fake, just doesn't seem worth it. ›››

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Looking Back: Celebrating 'Women in Film 2020' Video Retrospective

"Those are the numbers, but this is their story." The UK film magazine Little White Lies has revealed a new retrospective video for 2020 titled Women in Film 2020. The video essay is edited by Portuguese editor named Luís Azevedo and includes commentary on many of the films. "2020 was a great year for women behind the camera. Here are just some of our favourite films directed by them from last year, including Promising Young Woman​, The Assistant​ and Miss Juneteenth​." It also features other favorites like The 40 Year Old Version, First Cow, Nomadland, Babyteeth, and Rocks. If you're still looking for any films to catch up with from last year - any and all of these are worth watching. View the full essay below. ›››

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Sophie Turner & Daniel Zovatto in Trailer for Revenge Thriller 'Heavy'

"This is the kind of story where everyone is to blame, and no one is spared." Electric Entertainment has revealed an official trailer for an indie revenge thriller titled Heavy, marking the feature directorial debut of Jouri Smit. This originally premiered in 2019 at the Deauville Film Festival, and is finally set for release in the US this winter. The film centers on a couple living it up in the high-end drug scene of New York City. When a long lost childhood friend appears out of nowhere and asks for help with a sketchy deal, things begin to go wrong and it all starts to fall apart. Starring Daniel Zovatto, Sophie Turner, Darrell Britt-Gibson, Matias Varela, and Anastasia Marinina. They say: "With its razor-sharp dialogue, breathless action, themes of true love and wicked humor, a stylish romantic thriller in the vein of Bonnie & Clyde and True Romance." This doesn't look that great, which might explain why it has taken so long to get a release. ›››

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New UK Trailer for Cristi Puiu's Epic 19th Century Drama 'Malmkrog'

"But we really must continue this discussion." Sovereign Film Distribution has debuted a new trailer for the UK release of Malmkrog arriving on VOD there starting in March. The film originally premiered at last year's Berlin Film Festival, and also stopped by the New York Film Festival and many others. Malmkrog, which translates to Manor House (the alternate release title), is the latest film from acclaimed Romanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Sieranevada) and runs a full 3 hours, 20 minutes but gets into some intense discussions. The film is made up almost entirely of conversations between guests at a house. A landowner, a politician, a countess, a General and his wife, all gather in a spacious manor and discuss death, war, progress and morality. As the time passes by, the discussion becomes more serious and heated. Starring Frédéric Schulz-Richard, Agathe Bosch, Diana Sakalauskaité, Marina Palii, Ugo Broussot, and István Téglás. Critics have been raving about this since Berlinale, but it does seem like a highly intellectual, grueling film - which is the entire point. It still might interest a few anyway - take a look. ›››

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