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It’s easy to see why a film like “Chestnut” might appeal to leading lady Natalia Dyer. This story of a young woman on the cusp of change isn’t too dissimilar from what’s happening in her own career right now. Just as Annie ponders the future, stuck in her uni town for the summer ahead of a new life in LA come fall, so too is Dyer contemplating a new world beyond “Stranger Things,” the Netflix behemoth that’s finally set to end later this year.

Judging by this indie and previous projects such as “Mountain Rest” and “Yes, God, Yes,” life after Hawkins will be far more grounded for the most part, yet in “Chestnut,” her character Annie still floats somewhat aimlessly. With little to do in the weeks leading up to her big move, Annie finds herself often drinking alone at a bar in the historic...

Kit Zauhar’s sophomore feature “This Closeness” follows the promise of her 2021 debut “Actual People,” which demonstrated she could tell an immersive story with few resources. Her microbudget feature “This Closeness,” a Narrative Spotlight premiere of SXSW 2023, is now about to open from Factory 25 on June 7, followed by a Mubi streaming premiere on July 3. Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.

Per IndieWire’s 2023 SXSW preview, “This Closeness” “wields its lo-fi constraints with tremendous sophistication and insight. The entire story takes place within the constraints of a Philadelphia apartment, booked by a young couple (Zauhar and Zane Pais) for a high school reunion weekend; once there, they find themselves dealing with the awkward loner (Ian Edlund) who lives there. As tensions mount, the movie dances an elegant line between cringe-comedy and erotic thriller, with Zauhar’s character, an Asmr YouTuber, developing an enigmatic bond with their temporary roommate while...

Exclusive: Cartilage Films has taken worldwide rights to Ryan Martin Brown’s feature directorial debut, Free Time for a 2024 domestic release.

Pic stars Colin Burgess as Drew, who is approaching the end of his twenties and, with it, his relative youth. Looking to make a sudden change, he decides to quit his cushy desk job and “embrace life” — only to realize he has no idea what to do with this newfound freedom. Cycling quickly through friends, hobbies, and goals, it’s not long before Drew’s search for meaning leads him back in the direction of his recently vacated post. Brown also wrote the pic which stars Rajat Suresh, Holmes (Welcome to Flatch), Jessie Pinnick (Princess Cyd), Michael Patrick Nicholson (Socks on Fire), James Webb and Eric Yates,

Free Time was produced by Mackenzie Jamieson, Paula Andrea González-Nasser, Justin Zuckerman and Nolan Kelly.

While the other streaming services set up recurring franchises, Hulu has opted to get a bit more experimental with its original offerings in August 2021.

Hulu’s list of new releases this month is highlighted by three original series concepts with promise. Reservation Dogs premieres on August 9. Co-created by Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), this story will follow four indigenous teenagers in Oklahoma as they stave off boredom and adulthood. Next up is Nine Perfect Strangers on August 18. This miniseries, based on a book of the same name, is produced by David E. Kelley and features staggering cast of Nicole Kidman, Melissa McCarthy, Luke Evans, Samara Weaving, and more.

Only Murders in the Building is likely the biggest thing to look forward to in August though. Premiering on August 31, this comedy stars Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Selena Gomez as three true crime-obsessed friends who stumble into a true crime of their own.

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Art-House Animation

If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.

Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel

Neo-Noir

One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...

Jenni Olson's The Royal Road and Arthur Bressan Jr.’s Gay USA are both part of Mubi's Pride Unprejudiced collection. The series Awakenings: Three By Stephen Cone is playing on Mubi in many countries.The Royal RoadThe morning after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party screened at the Castro Theatre as a part of Frameline 39 (San Francisco LGBT Festival), I sat, severely hungover, in the rear floor section of that historic theatre and watched a matinee screening of Jenni Olson’s The Royal Road, an intimate, 65-minute “essay film” about California, unrequited love, narrative and nostalgia that I would eventually come to consider one of the greatest of all films. Sleep-deprived and heart-pounding from dehydration, I had no business being out in public, but with each serene 16mm California image accompanied by Olson’s dryly humorous, reflective voice-over, I began to feel that, in fact, I had no business being anywhere else.

Mubi has unveiled their lineup for next month, featuring the exclusive streaming premiere of Frederick Wiseman’s masterful documentary City Hall, the late Monte Hellman’s final film Road to Nowhere, a trio of works by Stephen Cone, two films by Alain Resnais, the multi-month series Sex, Truth, and Videotape: French Feminist Activism, and Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant.

As a special addition in addition to the regular programming listed below, the new restoration of Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris will be available as a free presentation celebrating Juneteenth, from June 18-19. Timed with the release of his latest gem Undine, a Christian Petzold retrospective continues with his earlier, essential films Yella, Barbara, Ostwärts, and The Warm Money.

Check out the lineup below, with links to reviews where available, and get 30 days of Mubi for free here. One can also check back for our new streaming picks every Friday here.

If you’re looking to dive into the best of independent and foreign filmmaking, The Criterion Channel has announced their August 2020 lineup. The impressive slate includes retrospectives dedicated to Mia Hansen-Løve, Bill Gunn, Stephen Cone, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Alain Delon, Bill Plympton, Les Blank, and more.

In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.

See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.

25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...

Times are rough right now under self-quarantine, so maybe it’s time to stop begging for scraps from Disney and watch some fantastic Lgbtqia+ cinema instead. Why not watch some smaller films that haven’t been talked to death by every pop culture website on the planet?

The purpose of this list is to cheer people up, especially during a time when people really can’t go out and decompress. All we can do right now is curl up under our blankets with a libation or two and try to forget our troubles by streaming movies nonstop.

Queer cinema is not a monolith, but I do prefer to prioritize the films that depict queer life as it is. This is a list big on laughs, keeping the sadness to a minimum. There are some recognizable titles in here, mixed in with lesser-known gems that deserve public attention. Luckily, film critics...

Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles who are looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms caters to its own niche of film obsessives.

From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel, and esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on Film Movement Plus and Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide highlights the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.

Here’s the best of the best for February 2020.

“Close-Up”

The Criterion Channel invariably offers the deepest and most compelling slate of any streaming service, but this month’s additions almost border on overkill; how is anyone supposed to choose where to start? The programming lineup kicks off...

Hulu is out with its list of all the content that’s coming and going to the streaming service in February.

Highlights include the series premiere of Zoë Kravitz’s “High Fidelity” reboot, coming on Valentine’s Day, in which she stars as a record store owner in a gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood, revisiting past relationships through music and trying to get over her one true love. Her character was played by John Cusack in the 2000 film, and both are based on Nick Hornby’s 1995 novel of the same name.

There is also a new episode of “Into the Dark” titled “My Valentine,” which will be released on Feb. 7, in which a pop singer’s ex-boyfriend and manager steals her songs and gives them to his new protégé.

Also Read: Why Hulu Programming Chief Is Ok Sharing Classic Content Like 'Svu' With Rival Streamers

Season 1 of Hulu Original “Utopia Falls” comes out Feb.

Few things are more sublime than finding back-to-back features that hit some specific thematic sweet spot. Drive-in theaters may not be the popular viewing spot they once were, but with the overwhelming accessibility we now have, one can program their own personal double bill. Today, we’ve run through the gamut of 2017 films to select the finest pairings and tried to sway from the most obvious (i.e. a combination of Dunkirk, Darkest Hour and The Finest Hour). Check out list the below, and we’d love to hear your own picks, which can be left in the comments.

Lady Bird and Princess Cyd

On paper, too easy a pairing: coming-of-age stories that are too intelligent to propose that this, here, is the end of a journey; characters (titular characters, no less) whose impulsiveness, close-mindedness, and selfishness are, of course, part of what makes them so empathetic; portraits in miniature...

“Lady Bird” won big at the Chicago Film Critics Association Awards last night, taking home Best Picture, Best Actress (Saoirse Ronan), Best Supporting Actress (Laurie Metcalf), and Most Promising Filmmaker (Greta Gerwig) from the Windy City. “Call Me by Your Name” had a strong showing as well, picking up prizes for Best Actor (Timothée Chalamet, who also won Most Promising Performer) and Best Supporting Screenplay.

Christopher Dunkirk was named Best Director for his work on “Dunkirk,” with Willem Dafoe of “The Florida Project” winning yet another Best Supporting Actor laurel and Jordan Peele being honored with Best Original Screenplay for “Get Out.” Full list of winners below.

Read More:2017 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards: ‘Call Me by Your Name’ Wins Both Best Picture and Best Actor

Best Picture

Call Me By Your Name

Dunkirk

Lady Bird

The Shape of Water

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Best Director

Guillermo Del Toro...

Chicago – The eclectic coming-of-age love story, “Call Me By Your Name” topped the nominations list with eight for the 2017 Chicago Film Critics Association (Cfca) Film Awards, to be announced on Wednesday, December 13th. Director Luca Guadagnino’s adaptation of Andre Aciman’s novel garnered nods for Best Picture, Guadagnino for Best Director, and acting noms for Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg and Timothee Chalamet.

The rest of the field for Best Picture has a variety of genres and themes. Christopher Nolan’s epic “Dunkirk” shares the stage with Greta Gerwig’s intent autobiographical “Lady Bird,” Guillermo Del Toro’s magical “The Shape of Water” and the strange-but-heralded “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” The symbolic horror of “Get Out” got first time director Jordan Peele a nomination (joining first timer Greta Gerwig), the late Harry Dean Stanton was recognized for Best Actor in “Lucky,” and Willem Dafoe got a Best Supporting Actor nomination for “The Florida Project.

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg)

Leave it to Steven Spielberg to eke more thrills out of an animated feature than most directors could with every live-action tool at their disposal. The Adventures of Tintin is colored and paced like a child’s fantastical imagining of how Hergé’s comics might play in motion, and the extent to which viewers buy it depends largely on their willingness to give...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: What is the most overlooked and/or underrated movie of 2017?

E. Oliver Whitney, Screencrush.com, @cinemabite

Despite the critical praise, “A Fantastic Woman” only a one-week qualifying run last month, and I worry is it’ll easily be forgotten this awards season. Daniela Vega gives one of the most astounding performances I’ve seen this year, one that comes from somewhere fierce and internal, portraying the life and struggle of a trans woman that cinema has rarely shown an interest in exploring. But since you can’t see it until it has a proper release in Febraury, do check one of the year’s other...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question:

Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is now streaming on Netflix (in addition to playing in a few theaters), and the Oscar-tipped Sundance favorite is as high-profile a film as the streaming giant has ever premiered. It’s another landmark moment in the ongoing shift towards novel distribution patterns — once upon a time it was easy enough to divide things into theatrical releases and films that went straight-to-video, but now there are at least 50 shades of gray.

Read More:‘Mudbound’: Dee Rees, Faith, and the Long Path She Took to Make Her Epic Oscar Contender

As a result of this sea change, a number of major films...

“Princess Cyd” is a delightful gem of a film, a delicate piece of naturalism centered around not one, but two, fully realized women characters. While it may technically be Stephen Cone’s eighth feature, the Chicago-based filmmaker has never seen a film play at Sundance, SXSW, Tiff, or any other major film festival. That’s about to change: With “Princess Cyd” receiving glowing reviews, earning Cone comparisons to the late Jonathan Demme, and an early career retrospective at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), Cone won’t be an outsider much longer.

“I’ve gotten used to the rejections,” Cone told IndieWire during a recent interview. “I’ve learned to be patient. But, I won’t lie, it’s been extremely unusual to fall through what feels like a very special crack in the floor.” Though the major American festivals have so far shut him out, Cone...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Recommended Viewinga stunning trailer for the 4k restoration and re-release of Legend of the Mountain (1979), an under-seen, contemplative action masterpiece by Come Drink with Me and A Touch of Zen director King Hu.Hong Sang-soo's On the Beach at Night Alone gets a wry and incisive new trailer for its imminent U.S. release. We wrote on the film in February, and later interviewed the director about it.For De Filmkrant, Notebook contributors Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin investigate in a new video essay the virtuous modulation to be found in Howard Hawks' and Barbara Stanwyck's talents in Ball of Fire.Commissioned by Renzo, Le CiNéMa Club has premiered three inspired short films from Mati Diop, Eduardo Williams, and Baptist Penetticobra all loosely interpreting the theme "Inhabit the earth".Recommended READINGIn...

Princess CydStephen Cone has been making movies at a steady clip for over a decade and yet remains largely unknown. It is a momentous and wholly deserved occasion then for him to receive a retrospective at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Despite mixed receptions and even more erratic distribution patterns, his collection of films isn’t as motley as one might think. While each might tiptoe in a different direction, they maintain a hand in the Stephen Cone universe, imprinted by the same particular humanistic insight. In one of his earliest films, In Memoriam (2011), a young man so subsumed with the sudden death of a couple, fallen from a roof during the throes of pleasure, conducts his own investigation into their ill-fated demise. Innocuous curiosity masks what is essentially an existential inquiry and takes a self-referential pivot when he decides to recreate and film the events,...

Sitting down to watch a lesbian coming-of-age film can be like entering a game of Russian roulette, if you’re the kind of woman who doesn’t like seeing iterations of herself murdered, raped, converted, or preyed upon. Sitting down to watch a movie about a woman over 40 can be similarly daunting, in that very few of these movies even exist. Director Stephen Cone seeks to right these wrongs with his eighth feature, “Princess Cyd.” All told, he does a pretty good job — and makes a charming little film in the process.

Continue reading Effervescent ‘Princess Cyd’ Will Leave You Feeling Loved & Lovely [Review] at The Playlist.

As we gear up for an awards season ripe with many quality queer films, it’s important to remember smaller successes who may get lost in the shuffle. Lgbt-themed film festivals Outfest and Frameline kicked off the summer, while New York’s own NewFest wrapped up last week. It’s always thrilling to see a gay film get awards attention, like the kind lavished on Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” and foreign language contender “Bpm (Beats Per Minute).” But it’s been a banner year for nuanced queer films across the board, and especially ones from queer-identified filmmakers.

From up-and-comers making splashy debuts, to longtime favorites who have stepped up their game, the filmmakers on this list represent a varied swath of not only the Lgbt spectrum, but vastly different artistic styles. That means they have the potential to reach different audiences — and open up perspectives across demographics.

Stephen Cone has the tenacity of first-time director, yet he has eight feature films and dozens of shorts to show for it. His vision for filmmaking, grit in self-fundraising, and ability to collaborate with fresh faces (like Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame) and veteran actors alike results in nimble productions with a quick turn-around.

The Film Stage’s Jose Solís reviewed Cone’s newest film Princess Cyd, which opens today in NY and Chicago, saying: “With this, Cone also continues to be one of the few directors who has chosen to contextualize faith rather than demonize it. He shows greater interest in the places where we are like each other, all while celebrating what makes us different.”

Offering a look into his still-young career, Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image, programmed Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act, going from...

Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.

Museum of the Moving Image

The warm and wise films of Stephen Cone are given a retrospective, overlapping with the theatrical release of his new film, Princess Cyd.

Metrograph

Dennis Hopper, Philippe Garrel, Samuel Fuller, and Forman & Passer all have films screening.

Quad Cinema

The likes of Truffaut, Akerman, Lucas, De Palma, and Fellini screen...

In brief—this interview is long as is—Stephen Cone’s new feature Princess Cyd begins with what’s almost a feint: a phone call to 911 reporting trouble next door and a potentially helpless young girl, heard before we actually see now-grown protagonist Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) on the soccer field. 16-year-old Cyd comes to Chicago to spend some time away from her father, crashing with her writer aunt Miranda (Rebecca Spence). They’re opposites: Cyd’s all body and bluntly atheist, Miranda is cerebral and Christian. The question of what happened to Cyd fades away over the course of a seemingly low-key movie in which Cyd […]...

Welcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel, Bill Graham and I are joined by Stephen Cone (director of the excellent Princess Cyd, which opens in New York/Chicago this Friday) to talk Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), starring Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and more, which is now streaming on Netflix.

Subscribe on iTunes or see below to stream/download. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.

M4A: The Film Stage Show Ep. 269 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

00:00 – 05:44 – Introductions

05:45 – 01:25:11 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) review

Bonus: Listen to Baumbach’s recent discussion of the film with Brian De Palma at the DGA.

The Film Stage is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent,...

When 16-year-old Cyd announces with cheerful nonchalance that "I don't really read," she's in a book-lined room, and more than a few of the volumes on the shelves were written by her aunt Miranda, the woman she's addressing. Their literary divide is one of several obvious differences between the two. But what might have devolved into cutesy odd-couple territory instead moves in unexpected directions, bolstered by a fundamental idealism.

Even with a backstory of devastating violence (handled with impressive concision), Princess Cyd is a film in which strangers are open and kind and where friends, in a casual ritual of...

Every now and then a film sneaks up on you and catches your eye. “Princess Cyd” is one of those films that you might not have heard about yet, but you should probably have on your radar. In the new trailer for the film, it’s clear that a lot of heart went into this story about a young girl coming-of-age in a Chicago summer.

Jessie Pinnick plays Cyd, a teenage girl visiting her author Aunt in Chicago for the summer.

Continue reading ‘Princess Cyd’ Trailer: Add This Film To Your Must-See List This Fall at The Playlist.

Lionsgate and CBS Films have released the teaser trailer for “Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built,” an upcoming horror film starring Helen Mirren and Jason Clarke. Inspired by true events, as so many of these movies seem to be, it purports to tell the story of the most haunted house in history. Watch the trailer below.

Read More:Helen Mirren Set for Chaplin Award, European Film Academy Honors Newcomers, and More — Awards Roundup

Here’s the synopsis: “On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Academy Award®-winner Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a...

SundanceTV has released the full-length trailer for “Cold Blooded: The Clutter Family Murders,” Joe Berlinger’s docuseries about the crime that inspired Truman Capote’s “In Cold Blood.” That nonfiction novel (a phrase Capote coined) was adapted by Richard Brooks into an acclaimed drama starring Robert Blake and Scott Wilson, and Philip Seymour Hoffman won an Oscar for portraying its author in “Capote.”

Read More:Zac Efron Slated to Play Serial Killer Ted Bundy In Indie From Joe Berlinger

The quadruple murder took place in Holcomb, Kansas in 1959. Two men, Richard “Dick” Hickock and Perry Smith, entered the home of their victims in the belief that Herbert Clutter, the family patriarch, kept as much as $10,000 in his safe; there was less than $50 in the house. Clutter, his wife, and their two young children were all killed after being bound and gagged.

Read More:‘Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru...

Sometimes, there are just too many trailers. It’s difficult to give each one a fair shake, but it’s our duty to report to you, the readers, all the entertainment news we can. And that includes trailers. So when some trailers slip through the crack, we break out the lasso and round them all up in […]

The post Trailer Roundup: ’24 Hours to Live’, ‘I Love You America’, ‘The Chi, Miracle on 42nd Street’, ‘Sweet Virginia’, ‘Angelica’, ‘Princess Cyd’ appeared first on /Film.

Chicago – The Chicago International Film Festival is a competitive fest, and the 53rd edition presented its awards on October 20th, 2017, at the AMC River East Theatre in Chicago. The winner of the Gold Hugo as Best Film was “A Sort of Family” (Argentina), directed by Diego Lerman.

The 53rd Chicago International Film Festival Awards Night was October 20th, 2017

Photo credit: Patrick McDonald for HollywoodChicago.com

The awards event was hosted by entertainment reporter Bill Zwecker of the Chicago Sun-Times and FOX32. Presenters included Artistic Director Mimi Plauché, programmers Anthony Kaufman and Sam Flancher, plus various jury members. Local treasures Chaz Ebert of RogerEbert.com and Festival Founder Michael Kutza joined in as presenters. The Festival’s highest honor is the Gold Hugo, named for the mythical God of Discovery.

International Feature Film Competition

“A Sort of Family,” Directed by Diego Lerman

Photo credit: Chicago International Film Festival

The Gold Hugo...

Too often, the nuances of female desire and exploration are painted with broad strokes by filmmakers of all stripes, but especially male ones. Which is why Stephen Cone’s beautifully rendered portrait of one teen’s innocent romantic experiments comes as such a delightful surprise. But there is more at play in “Princess Cyd,” which also explores a middle-aged woman’s relationship to her sexuality in equally delicate measures. The relationship between the two women is the film’s major driving force, which is apparent in the first trailer for the engaging and understated film.

“Princess Cyd” follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Jessie Pinnick) over a summer visit to her novelist aunt (Rebecca Spence) in Chicago. Estranged since the death of Cyd’s mother, Miranda and Cyd gently dance around each other as they re-establish an adult relationship. Meanwhile, Cyd seeks guidance during her dalliance with cute neighborhood barista Katie...

"It is not a handicap to have one thing, but not another..." Wolfe Releasing has debuted the first official trailer for Stephen Cone's latest film Princess Cyd, a light coming-of-age comedy set mostly in Chicago. The story follows a young 16-year-old woman who goes to spend the summer with her novelist aunt at her home in Chicago's suburbs, discovering her sexual attraction to another girl in the neighborhood. Newcomer Jessie Pinnick stars as Cyd, and the cast includes Rebecca Spence, Malic White, James Vincent Meredith, Tyler Ross, and Matthew Quattrocki. I caught this just recently at the London Film Festival, and while it is solid overall, none of it really impressed me and it doesn't have anything unique to say at the end. There's so many other better films exactly like this, but it's also not that bad either. Take a look below. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster...

“America: They want someone to love, but they want someone to hate.” So opens our first look (and listen) at Margot Robbie in character as disgraced ex-figure skating champion Tonya Harding, introducing us via gravelly voiceover to the pitch-black wonder that is Craig Gillespie’s “I, Tonya.” The film’s first trailer appropriately sells Harding’s status as an outsider — and Robbie’s uncanny ability to slip inside the mind of one of America’s most misunderstood villains — plus its delightfully off-kilter tone.

While the film inevitably leads up to the Nancy Kerrigan knee-smashing that forever marred Harding’s legacy, but “I, Tonya” is also a “Rashomon”-influenced biopic that digs deep to find the truth about Harding and her life, painful as it so often was. “I, Tonya” also stars Allison Janney as Harding’s unhinged mother Lavona Golden and Sebastian Stan as her punchline-ready ex-husband Jeff Gillooly, along...

There are few directors working today that love their characters more than Stephen Cone. After reaching a wider audience with one of 2015’s best films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, he’s returning this year with Princess Cyd. Following a 16-year-old’s summer in Chicago, where she clashes and connects with her aunt and learns more about her own sexuality and faith, the first trailer has landed. Also, if you’re in NYC and have yet to see Cone’s film, a retrospective will be held at the Museum of Moving Image from November 3-12.

In a rare A-grade review for Princess Cyd, we said, “Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been...

Last year was a windfall year for Lgbtq cinema, thanks to a historic Best Picture win for “Moonlight” and Park Chan-wook’s exquisite “The Handmaiden” both receiving critical and commercial acclaim. While these highly deserving queer stories rose to the top, many smaller Lgbt films were either forgotten or simply nowhere to be found.

Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Couldn’t Be The Lesbian Avenger We Need

Hollywood studios have begun to shoehorn blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gay stories into an endless stream of remakes and TV adaptations, and there is a wide range of indies exploring the breadth of queer stories with ever-expanding joy and nuance. While it’s still difficult to get a gay film made (or any film, for that matter), it’s wonderful that, only halfway through 2017, there are already so many queer films on the horizon. Which is why we think it’s important to celebrate them now,...

It takes an incredible amount of restraint not to tie your film up with a neat little bow, but nothing could be more fitting for a filmmaker as committed to truth-telling as Stephen Cone is. In his latest film, “Princess Cyd,” the Chicago-based writer-director renders his deeply human characters so precisely, it’s as if they stepped right off the screen and into your living room. The two central women are equal parts charming, awkward, yearning and lost. In short, they’re real. Their complexity is all the more impressive coming from a male filmmaker — Cone proves it’s possible for men to write sexually liberated, empowered, autonomous women.

Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.

Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy

Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.

Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.

Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).

Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.

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Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.

Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.

Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.

Grade: A-

“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.

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Is there a director more generous to his characters than Stephen Cone? Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been pitted against each other and engaged in battle until a facile discovery in the denouement made them realize how much they had in common and led to a warm reconciliation. But not in Cone’s film, perhaps for the very notion that no one else is interested in telling the stories of characters such as these — perhaps because no one else can.

We first hear of Cyd through an emergency call, where we learn two people have died in a shooting that leaves only a little girl behind as the survivor. When we...

BAMcinemafest, the Brooklyn presenting organization’s annual festival of top new American independent films, kicked off last night with Aaron Katz’s stylish L.A. murder mystery Gemini and runs through the 24th, with Alex Ross Perry’s Golden Exits as closing night film. The festival, which gains stature and momentum every year, mixes a fair swatch of local NYC auteurs with out-of-towners whose work strikes allied notes of idiosyncratic auteurism. Below, from myself and Vadim Rizov, are a series of picks and capsule reviews for recommended films in this year’s edition. Princess Cyd. Stephen Cone’s fifth feature is his first not grounded in […]...

Princess CydNow in its ninth season, BAMcinemaFest has become New York’s premiere festival for gems of American indie cinema, expertly culled from the best of the fests thus far this year. While hosting works from numerous local Brooklynites like Alex Ross Perry, whose Golden Exits will close the event, the intimate festival also boasts an exceptional assortment of films from across the country, this year no short on mysteries, overt and clandestine. The selection’s varying styles are all a testament to the diversity of independent filmmaking that is alive and well in America today.Director Aaron Katz returns with Gemini, a lo-fi L.A.-set noir circling around a movie starlet Heather (Zoe Kravitz) and her devoted assistant Jill (Lola Kirke). Always the expert examiner of relationships in miniature, Katz plumbs beyond the quandary of the employer-employee transactional one here to capture the fragile peculiarities and tender idiosyncrasies of a female friendship.

Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.

– Focus Features has acquired the North American and select international rights to Jason Reitman’s “Tully.” Written by Diablo Cody, the comedy stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston.

“Tully” tells the story of Marlo (Theron), a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Davis). The film will premiere in U.S. theaters on April 20, 2018.

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– Electric Entertainment has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Rob Reiner’s “Lbj,...

Coming-of-age drama to screen at BAMcinemaFest in New York in June.

Wolfe Releasing has acquired director Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd, which receives its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on Thursday.

The specialist Lgbtq distributor will screen the coming-of-age drama at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinemaFest in June, followed by a theatrical and digital release later this year.

The drama starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick centres on 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin who pays a visit to her novellist aunt in Chicago over the summer.

Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighbourhood while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit. Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Cone produced.

Princess Cyd marks Wolfe Releasing’s third collaboration with Cone after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids.

“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith...

Wolfe Releasing has acquired Princess Cyd, the coming-of-age drama from director Stephen Cone starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick. The distributor made the deal ahead of the pic’s world premiere tomorrow at the Maryland Film Festival. A theatrical and digital release later this year is planned. The pic follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Pinnick) while visiting her novelist aunt (Spence) in Chicago over the summer. Eager to escape life with her depressive…...

If one wants to experience the best independent cinema the year has to offer this summer, one of your best bets is the well-curated line-up at Brooklyn’s BAMcinémaFest. They’ve now unveiled this year’s slate for the festival running from June 14-25, including some of of my favorite films of the year thus far (A Ghost Story, Golden Exits, Columbus, Marjorie Prime, and Landline) as well as highly-anticipated others (the SXSW hit Gemini and Stephen Cone‘s Princess Cyd come to mind).

“I’m incredibly proud of the program our team has put together,” says Gina Duncan, Associate Vice President, Cinema. “From the endearing comedy The Big Sick to the micro-budget Princess Cyd and Lemon, the audacious first feature from Janicza Bravo, the line-up truly reflects the breadth of American independent cinema today. Other highlights include the world premiere of Jim McKay’s, En el Séptimo Día an...

Although there’s no shortage of regional film festivals throughout the year, few — if any — are better curated than the Maryland Film Festival. With a slate organized by Director of Programming Eric Allen Hatch, the downtown Baltimore festival, which takes place from May 3-7, offers the finest in independent and international cinema of the past year, as well as some of our most-anticipated world premieres.

Now in its 19th year, we’re pleased to debut the full line-up for the 6-screen festival, and can exclusively reveal that Brett Haley‘s The Hero (one of our favorite films from Sundance) will be the Closing Night film. World premiering at the festival is Stephen Cone‘s Princess Cyd, his follow-up to one of last year’s finest films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, along with Josh Crockett‘s Dr. Brinks & Dr. Brinks.

We can also exclusively reveal the Opening Night Shorts — 5 short...

Alec Bojalad Jan 16, 2020

We have a list of the new Hulu movies and shows arriving in February 2020.

February is a month for love and Hulu knows exactly what to do with it. For its February 2020 new releases, Hulu is introducing an original series fit for Valentine's Day. High Fidelity premieres on Valentine's Day and this modern adaptation of Nick Hornby's novel and Stephen Frears film will bring some love and music to the mid-February doldrums.

Hulu's only $5.99/month now, grab the deal here!

Another original arriving in February is Utopia Falls (also premiering on February 14), which looks to be teenage-oriented series combining Harry Potter, The Expanse, and music. That sound like something that might interest you?

February 1 sees the arrival of plenty of films to enjoy like 300, When Harry Met Sally, The Fugitive, and 28 Days Later. That's about as diverse an array of genre films as you'll get.