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Katherine Propper makes her directorial debut with Lost Soulz, an intimate look at ambitious youth chasing artistic passion on the open road. The film follows aspiring rapper Sol, portrayed with charisma by musician Sauve Sidle, as he joins a collective of touring musicians after a chance meeting. Sol leaves his Texas home with little reflection, prompted by a spur-of-the-moment invitation to perform alongside the group across the Lone Star state.

Propper chooses to focus more on character than a complex plot. We learn about Sol and his new companions through everyday moments—late-night jam sessions in their packed van, impromptu music videos at tourist spots, unbridled enthusiasm at every opportunity to create. Central is Sol’s desire for fame and longing to prove himself, embodied in his assurance to his mirror, “You’re going to be a superstar.” Yet, like many ambitious dreams, reality brings uncertainty. Sol starts to feel...

The 21st century has seen nearly every mechanism of the entertainment industry, from distribution models and revenue streams to the cultural gatekeepers of stardom and prestige, evolve or die. But even as each new generation of artists tries to make its mark on a changing business, the classic dream of leaving everyday life behind for fame and fortune still burns as brightly as ever. The details might have changed — the old archetype of being plucked from obscurity by a record executive who promises to make you into a star has gradually been replaced by fantasies of going viral overnight — but the grandiose ambition in young artists with something to prove isn’t going away anytime soon.

Sol (Sauve Sidle) is a walking embodiment of those dreams when we first meet him in “Lost Soulz.” Katherine Propper’s directorial debut begins with the rainbow-haired rapper staring at himself in the mirror...

In the 1990s and 2000s, May (and specifically Memorial Day) typically marked the beginning of Summer Movie Season. Multiplexes nationwide were packed to the emergency exits with big names, big explosions and (presumably) big box office. The film industry has changed since then, obviously, and summer no longer packs the same high-octane punch that it once did. But in this evolution, release schedule space has opened up for a stellar month of Don’t-Miss Indies titles.

Jeanne Du Barry

When You Can Watch: May 3

Where You Can Watch: Theaters

Director: Maiwenn

Cast: Maiwenn, Johnny Depp, Benjamin Lavernhe, Melvin Poupaud, Pierre Richard

Why We’re Excited: In 18th-century France, Jeanne Vaubernier, a common girl eager to climb the social ladder uses her distinct charms to convince her lover, the Count du Barry (Melvin Poupaud) to introduce her to the King, Louis Xv (Depp). The Count organizes the meeting through the intermediary...

A road-trip movie driven by good vibrations and the joy of making music, Katherine Propper’s debut feature, Lost Soulz, begins with an aspiring musician named Sol—played with unbothered, introverted charm by rapper Suave Sidle—leaving home for the first time. He joins up with a Brockhampton-esque group of rap-crooners as they head for a gig in El Paso. It’s a long journey, especially for seven people packed into the same van, but they pass the time easily by tooling around with new lyrics, telling stories, and just goofing off.

The sheer number of bodies crammed in the van means that we don’t get to know these Gen-Zers too well. Seven (Aaron Melloul) is a broody troublemaker and Mao (Alexander Brackney) is a wild-haired, good-natured big fella with a sweet set of pipes. Froggy (Micro Tdh) is a versatile Latino rap-singer who slips seamlessly between styles and languages,...

"Music's not worth dying for..." "Then what is?" Kino Lorber has debuted the official trailer for the indie music film titled Lost Soulz, opening in theaters this May to watch. It originally premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival last year, where it was second in line for Audience Award. It later went on to win AFI Grand Jury Prize and the SXSW Jury Award for Vision. Lost Soulz is the feature debut from award-winning filmmaker Katherine Propper. The film is a fictional feature (not a doc though it has that vibe) that follows aspiring rapper Sol as he joins a group of Gen-z musicians on tour across the heart of Texas, embarking on a once-in-a-lifetime road trip. Set to a lo-fi, genre-bending hip-hop soundtrack, Propper's debut is suffused with a hazy & infectious energy and features virtuosic musical performances, from the tour van to the stage, that allow the ensemble's chemistry to shine.

Drama to play Raindance in London later this month.

Kino Lorber has acquired Noth American rights to Katherine Propper’s hip hop-infused Tribeca selection Lost Soulz, which will next play London’s Raindance Film Festival.

Lost Soulz won second place in Tribeca’s audience award and stars Sauve Sidle as an aspiring young rapper who faces life-changing choices when he joins musicians on a road trip through Texas.

First-time feature filmmaker Propper wrote and directed the drama which is based in part on Sidle’s life. The cast includes Siyanda Stillwell, Aaron “Seven” Melloul, Krystall Poppin, Alexander Brackney, Micro Tdh,...

An intriguing character-based musical that chronicles a few days in the life of an aspiring young rapper, “Lost Soulz” follows Sol (Sauve Sidle) as he navigates life on a road trip while making new friends. The film, from first-time feature writer-director Katherine Propper, won the second-place audience award at this month’s Tribeca Film Festival. Inspired by Sidle’s experience as a musician on the rise, “Lost Soulz” tells a raw personal story in a fragmented structure deriving its strength from the original music composed and performed by its talented cast.

Propper opens on Sol admiring his reflection in the mirror and murmuring to himself, “You are a superstar. Look at you.” Sidle proves believable as a big-dreams wannabe with an easy relaxed screen presence. Sol’s odyssey kicks off after his best friend Wesley overdoses at a party they were both attending. Though Sol was living with Wesley’s family,...

When Sol (Sauve Sidle) and Wesley (Siyanda Stillwell) and little Jessie (Giovahnna Gabriel) are late home, Wesley’s mum worries. They’re supposed to tell her where they will be and when. It’s a particular kind of worry which African Americans know well – less for the girl than for two boys who are reaching the age where people might not recognise how young they are, or might decide to ignore it, making them into targets. Sol isn’t her son but he’s been living in her home since his own family fell apart. He’s a sweet kid, very easy to like, and she’s made him her responsibility.

Sol doesn’t really understand this. He’s a at a stage in life where he perceives it as a series of events happening to him rather than choices for which he is fully responsible. He, Wesley and Jessie love rap,...

Each year, the Tribeca Film Festival brings a new slate of exciting films, directors, and writers to keep an eye out for in the future, and 2023 is no different. Some releases are highly anticipated, like Smoking Tigers, which last year was selected to receive a million dollars in funding for its creation. Other films showcase a broad range of new voices, and one of the most exciting new releases of the festival this year is Katherine Propper’s Lost Soulz.

Lost Soulz, Propper's feature-length directorial debut, tackles what it means to chase after your dreams when one doesn’t come from the means to do so. Its protagonist, Sol, comes from a troubled life where his dream of becoming a rapper might not be feasible in the long run, but he chases after it anyway. He leaves behind his home over that dream of pursuing music, but, as it turns out,...

In 2016, Katherine Propper met Sauve Sidle in a Craigslist ad looking for actors in a project she was doing as a part of her Mfa at the University of Texas. Back then, Sidle was only a high schooler, but almost a decade later, the two have collaborated yet again. Propper’s debut feature film, Lost Soulz, features Sidle in the lead role of Sol, and it’s also his feature film debut as an actor.

Sidle enjoys a career as a rapper and toured with the late Juice Wrld, Cordae, and Lil Mosey; he also has amassed a major following on the social media platform Instagram in the process. Katherine Propper previously has had her short films and work screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, and her 2022 short film “Birds” took home several prizes in its festival run.

Lost Soulz will have its world premiere at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival,...

Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field, Bad Like Brooklyn Dance Hall, Lost Soulz to premiere in New York.

Andrew Herwitz’s The Film Sales Company has boarded worldwide sales rights on three films set to receive their world premieres at Tribeca Festival.

Michael Selditch’s Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field premieres in Spotlight Documentary and chronicles the work of feted costume designer Field, who earned global renown for the likes of Sex And The City and Ugly Betty and garnered an Oscar nod for The Devil Wears Prada.

Kim Cattrall, Lily Collins Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Star,...

Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field, Bad Like Brooklyn Dance Hall, Lost Soulz to premiere in New York.

Andrew Herwitz’s The Film Sales Company has boarded worldwide sales rights on three films set to receive their world premieres at Tribeca Festival.

Michael Selditch’s Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field premieres in Spotlight Documentary and chronicles the work of feted costume designer Field, who earned global renown for the likes of Sex And The City and Ugly Betty and garnered an Oscar nod for The Devil Wears Prada.

Kim Cattrall, Lily Collins Sarah Jessica Parker, Darren Star,...