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Subversive Irish breakout pic Kneecap and Sasha Nathwani’s gentle yet ambitious debut Last Swim are among the titles that have nabbed mentions on the new talent longlists at this year’s British Independent Film Awards.

Both Kneecap and Last Swim pop up on the Douglas Hickox Best Debut Director Award longlist. Other nominees include Hoard, directed by Luna Carmoon, and Karan Kandhari’s Sister Midnight, which debuted at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

All four films also feature on the best screenplay longlist alongside Christopher Andrews’s Bring Them Down starring Barry Keoghan and Christopher Abbott. Other pics on the screenplay longlist include The Ceremony by Jack King and Jed Hart’s Restless.

Overall, the longlists include 31 British features, with 20 fiction and 11 documentary features across four debut filmmaking categories. Within that, there are 13 first-time fiction feature directors, 16 first-time feature documentary directors, 11 first-time writers, and 19 breakthrough producers.

The final...

Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap” and Luna Carmoon’s “Hoard” are among the titles in the British Independent Film Awards’ (BIFA) 2024 filmmaker new talent longlists, unveiled Friday. The selections spotlight 31 British features across four debut filmmaking categories, encompassing both fiction and documentary works.

Peppiatt and Carmoon join a group of first-time directors vying for the Douglas Hickox Award, including Amrou Al-Kadhi for “Layla,” Christopher Andrews for “Bring Them Down,” and Daina O Pusić for “Tuesday.” Other contenders in this category are Lucy Cohen with “Edge of Summer,” James Krishna Floyd for “Unicorns,” Stuart Gatt’s “Catching Dust,” Karan Kandhari’s “Sister Midnight,” Jack King’s “The Ceremony,” Rob Morgan’s “Stopmotion,” Sasha Nathwani’s “Last Swim,” and Joshua Trigg’s “Satu – Year of the Rabbit.” The category is sponsored by BBC Film.

The best debut screenwriter category, sponsored by Film4, sees Andrews and Carmoon competing alongside Floyd, Jed Hart for “Restless,...

Filmmakers from Bring Them Down, The Ceremony and Tuesday feature prominently on the filmmaker new talent longlists for the 2024 British Independent Film Awards (Bifas).

Bring Them Down’s Christopher Andrews is longlisted for the Douglas Hickox Award for best debut director and the best debut screenwriter award, while the film’s debut producer Jacob Swan Hyam is longlisted for breakthrough producer.

Scroll down for the filmmaker New Talent longlists

The Ceremony repeats that trio for writer-director Jack King and producers Hollie Bryan and Lucy Meer; as does Tuesday for writer-director Daina O Pusic and producer Helen Gladders.

Four filmmaker new...

August 29, 2024 – Hollywood tough guy Michael Madsen shatters expectations in his latest film, Mr. Wonderful, which just wrapped production in Los Angeles. The Reservoir Dogs and Kill Bill star trades his signature intensity for surprising vulnerability in this indie dramedy, marking a dramatic departure from his iconic crime roles.

Madsen stars as Prof. Brian Fenton, a jaded academic fighting to keep his job while his world crumbles around him. He’s caught between a millennial son on the run from drug dealers and a father battling senility – who’s harboring shocking secrets of his own. This multi-generational family drama promises to reveal a side of Madsen audiences have never seen before.

Director Mark David (Texas Heart) describes the film as “reminiscent of David O. Russell or Judd Apatow,” adding, “It was thrilling to take a star like Madsen, known for tough crime thrillers, and watch him excel as the lead in...

Developing a Western in 2024 carries the baggage of a historical genre. So many directors have found ways to explore complex themes within the confines of the American West that coming across an original story in this space is rare. Yet this is precisely what drew Erin Moriarty to the directorial debut of Stuart Gatt, Catching Dust, which opens on August 23.

As the two couples work out their differences against the backdrop of the frontier, their lies and pain come to light. Gatt’s debut features Moriarity as Geena – a young woman looking to understand herself in the face of total isolation. Moriarity and Gatt spoke to FandomWire about the experience of making Catching Dust and how to capture the emotion of the genre.

Gatt wanted to explore isolation and the desert.

Westerns were not traditionally the kind of movies Gatt made. “I just made my last short about the Libyan refugee crisis.

“Catching Dust,” a thriller starring Erin Moriarty (“The Boys), has been acquired by Vertical and will arrive in select theaters and be available on demand starting on Aug 23.

The Tribeca Film Festival selection is written and directed by Stuart Gatt and stars Moriarty and Jai Courtney. The film follows Geena as she “finally decides to leave her criminal husband, Clyde, and their isolated Texas hideout when a couple from New York suddenly arrives, in search of respite from the city. Ignoring the risks their presence may bring, Geena convinces Clyde to let them stay, a decision with dangerous consequences,” reads its logline.

“Producers Mark David and Jon Katz cultivated an environment of total freedom and support to allow myself and the crew to fulfill our vision in creating the unique world of ‘Catching Dust,'” Gatt said in a statement. “Watching Erin Moriarty and Jai Courtney, as well as the rest of our brilliant cast,...

Speaking about his film ‘Catching Dust’, British filmmaker Stuart Gatt on Tuesday said that universality of human emotions is wonderful as a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere. The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India opened on Monday with the international premiere of ‘Catching Dust’ by director Stuart Gatt.

Stuart Gatt along with co-producers Mark David and Jonathan Katz talking at the interaction program at 54th Iffi in Goa, spoke on various aspects of the film.

While elaborating on the focus of the movie on human emotions, he said that universality of human emotions is wonderful that a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere.

‘Catching Dust’, which is a United States, UK, Spain co-production is the feature directorial debut of Stuart Gatt who has been making short films on topical social themes till now.

When asked about choosing a dark subject for the debut film,...

Speaking about his film ‘Catching Dust’, British filmmaker Stuart Gatt on Tuesday said that universality of human emotions is wonderful as a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere. The 54th edition of the International Film Festival of India opened on Monday with the international premiere of ‘Catching Dust’ by director Stuart Gatt.

Stuart Gatt along with co-producers Mark David and Jonathan Katz talking at the interaction program at 54th Iffi in Goa, spoke on various aspects of the film.

While elaborating on the focus of the movie on human emotions, he said that universality of human emotions is wonderful that a story from Texas gets the same reception everywhere.

‘Catching Dust’, which is a United States, UK, Spain co-production is the feature directorial debut of Stuart Gatt who has been making short films on topical social themes till now.

When asked about choosing a dark subject for the debut film,...

After becoming the mascot for an unsuspecting sorority, a seemingly lovable sloth unleashes their killer instincts on the members of the Sigma Lambda Theta house in the official trailer for Slotherhouse, coming to theaters on August 30th from Gravitas Ventures:

Synopsis: It’s senior year of college for sorority sister Emily Young and for the first time ever, Sigma Lambda Theta is having elections for who will be president. Wanting to have a killer year, Emily Young realizes she might just be the best option for her sorority. While beginning her campaign, she finds an adorable sloth that steals her heart and soon realizes she just might steal the hearts, and votes, of her sorority sisters. But when bodies slowly begin to pile up in the Sigma Lambda Theta house, Emily and her sorority sisters realize the deaths are being caused by their new house mascot, the cuddly sloth Alpha.

Last week, we learned that Gravitas Ventures and Iconic Events Releasing will be giving the killer animal horror comedy Slotherhouse a nationwide theatrical release on August 30th. With that release date just four weeks away, a trailer for the film has now arrived online, and you can check it out in the embed above!

Directed by Matthew Goodhue from a screenplay by Bradley Fowler, who crafted the story with Cady Lanigan, Slotherhouse centers on college senior Emily Young, who aims to be voted president of her sorority. When she adopts an adorable sloth, she realizes the animal can serve as the house’s new mascot and help her win votes, dubbing the animal Alpha. The new pet is a beloved addition to the sorority house until a series of deaths point toward the sloth as the prime murder suspect. The film becomes a survival story of sisters versus sloth as...

Last month, we got a look at the trailer for the killer gopher horror comedy Caddy Hack, which is set to make its premiere at Kevin Smith’s Smodcastle theatre in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey on August 11th. (With a home video release to follow in October.) Now Variety has broken the news that there’s another killer animal horror comedy that will be getting some theatrical play next month: coming our way from Gravitas Ventures and Iconic Events Releasing is the killer sloth movie Slotherhouse, which will reach theatres nationwide on August 30th!

Directed by Matthew Goodhue from a screenplay by Bradley Fowler, who crafted the story with Cady Lanigan, Slotherhouse centers on college senior Emily Young, who aims to be voted president of her sorority. When she adopts an adorable sloth, she realizes the animal can serve as the house’s new mascot and help her win votes,...

Gravitas Ventures has acquired the rights to the upcoming horror-comedy “Slotherhouse,” directed by Matthew Goodhue. Alongside Iconic Events Releasing, the film will hit theaters nationwide on August 30.

“Slotherhouse” tells the story of college senior Emily Young, who aims to be voted president of her sorority. When she adopts an adorable sloth, she realizes the animal can serve as the house’s new mascot and help her win votes, dubbing the animal Alpha. The new pet is a beloved addition to the sorority house until a series of deaths point toward the sloth as the prime murder suspect. The film becomes a survival story of sisters versus sloth as the girls wonder if they can make it out of Sigma Lambda Theta alive.

“’Slotherhouse’ is a movie that embodies the reckless abandon genre films can bring to the table. It scratches the sloth itch we didn’t know we had! Our...

I Miss Me screens Wednesday, July 20th at 7:00pm at The Tivoli Theater as part of this year’s St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase. Ticket information can be found Here

Writer/director Chelsea Zotta’s I Miss Me tells the story of Kevin Masterson (Brock Roberts), who has everything a handsome bachelor could want: a high-powered job as an attorney, a list of women on speed dial, and enough money to get his kicks anytime, anywhere. But Calvin’s perfect life is flipped upside down when he is nearly killed by a drunk driver. Bed-ridden and depressed, Calvin must confront his inner demons to survive.

Chelsea Zotta took the time to answer questions about her film for We Are Movie Geeks in advance of it’s screening at the St. Louis Filmmaker’s Showcase.

We Are Movie Geeks: What was your filmmaking experience before I Miss Me?

Chelsea Zotta: After graduating college,...

From Oscar-winning to Homeland and more, here's what the cast of My So-Called Life have been up to over the past 2 decades...

Twenty years has passed since we were first introduced to the characters of My So-Called Life, twenty years! Where has the time gone? And more importantly when did I get so old?

While most of you won’t really care too much what I’ve been up to since the show finished, let’s take a look at what the actors have been up to in the years since the cancellation of what is frankly the greatest teen TV drama ever.

Claire Danes (Angela Chase)

After breaking out in My So-Called Life, Danes focused on her film career first with a leading role in 1995’s Little Women and then supporting roles in smaller but interesting films like Home For The Holidays, How to Make An American Quilt and...

Chicago – By the age of 15, actress Hanna Hall had delivered iconic lines in two of the most acclaimed films of the ’90s. After famously yelling, “Run, Forrest, run!” in Robert Zemeckis’s Oscar-winner, “Forrest Gump,” Hall nailed the unforgettable line, “Obviously, doctor, you’ve never been a 13-year-old girl,” in Sofia Coppola’s directorial debut, “The Virgin Suicides.”

Since then, Hall has tackled a wide variety of audacious roles in both mainstream releases, such as Rob Zombie’s 2007 “Halloween” remake, and independent productions including Adam Sherman’s edgy 2010 drama, “Happiness Runs.” In her latest film, “Scalene,” Hall plays Paige, a compassionate college student who signs up to care for a mentally handicapped man, Jakob (Adam Scarimbolo). When she suspects that Jakob is being abused by his mother, Janice (Margo Martindale), Paige attempts to “save” him by devising a plan that could potentially result in her own doom. Director/co-writer Zack Parker...

Once in a while in this line of work, some strange titles just magically fall into your lap. I must confess I had no idea what American Cowslip was when I got it for review. Situations like these usually result in one of two possibilities: either it's going to be a wonderful, woefully overlooked surprise; or I'm going to voodoo someone for digging buried junk for me.

Looking at the DVD cover only served to confuse even more. Mainly because it has Peter Falk, Val Kilmer, Clorice Leachman and Rip Torn on the cover, but also because it identifies itself as a "Redneck Comedy," whatever that means. I can see Rip Torn, that crazy bastard, yukking it up with Larry the Cable Guy, but Peter Falk? The phrase, naturally, conjured images of a slapstick Blue Collar Comedy kind of movie, which I dreaded with utmost dread. After watching the actual movie,...

Director: Mark David Wtiter(s): Mark David, Ronnie Gene Blevins, Christopher Morrison Starring: Ronnie Gene Blevins, Val Kilmer, Diane Ladd, Rip Torn Ethan (Ronnie Gene Blevins) is an agoraphobic heroin addict with no job, and his only ambition is gardening. Ethan’s parents are long gone, but he is still living in the same house that he was raised in. His neighbor Trevor (Rip Torn) is also his evil landlord who has been trying to evict Ethan for several months – as an unemployed heroin addict, Ethan cannot afford his rent. Other than his landlord, most of the residents of Blythe (a small California desert town) try to help Ethan get by. A few old ladies occasionally drop by for a game of cards (letting Ethan win in order to give him much needed cash). The aged prostitute across the street has also taken a liking to Ethan; as has...

Mark Lester's Los Angeles-based indie film banner American World Pictures has plucked helmer Mark David's sophomore film, Intoxicating, from this month's Method Fest Film Festival in Burbank. AWP will offer the film in Cannes. The film stars Kirk Harris as a charismatic young surgeon with an insatiable appetite for booze, drugs and one-night stands. The cast also includes John Savage and Eric Roberts.