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Starz has announced the movie and TV titles that will be available on the service in April. The Starz April 2025 schedule includes new episodes of Power Book III: Raising Kanan Season 4.

The Starz app expands its movie slate in April with an exciting mix of films, including the thriller Both Eyes Open, starring Gail Bean, Joy Brunson, and Taye Diggs; the comedy Strays, featuring the voices of Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx, and Will Forte; and the video game adaptation Five Nights at Freddy’s, starring Josh Hutcherson, Matthew Lillard, and Piper Rubio.

Power Book III: Raising Kanan

Exclusively available on the Starz app this month, fan-favorite films including 8 Mile, American Gangster, Belly, The Nutty Professor, That’s My Boy, Poetic Justice, and Friday Night Lights join the lineup.

Additionally, Starz will spotlight curated collections, featuring cast members from Power Book III: Raising Kanan, along with specially selected movie picks.

Power Book...

I’ve been particularly excited for the upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront expansion Death Star. Mainly because I love the space battles and it’s the one thing that’s been lacking for me on this game. Well with Gamescom comes news about the expansion concerning the modes available and the different phases.

So the first part consists of the space combat pitting the Rebel Alliance against the Empire with Tie Fighters vs. The X-wings. You have to destroy enough of the Ties to get to the Death Star.

The second phase has you boarding the Death Star. Did you read that correctly, you’re going to, board, the Death Star! This is also where you gain access to the two new players Bossk and Chewbacca.

The third part is finally bringing the massive space station down. Trench run time folks so brush up on your Womp Rat shooting.

Now...

Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old terminally ill cancer patient who ended her own life this weekend, touched many with her brave and tragic story, and celebrities were no exception. "Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me…but would have taken so much more," Maynard wrote on Facebook the other day before her death. "The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type … Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it...

Brittany Maynard, the 29-year-old terminally ill woman whose plight to die with dignity gained worldwide media attention, has died.

"Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love," Maynard posted on her Facebook page. "Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me ... but would have taken so much more. The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type ... Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!" 

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Brittany Maynard, who publicly shared her plans to end her life on her own terms thanks to Oregon's Death With Dignity Act, died peacefully Saturday. She was 29. "Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more," she wrote on Facebook. "The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers. I even have a ring of support around my bed as I type … Goodbye world. Spread good energy. Pay it forward!" Doctors diagnosed Maynard...

Brittany Maynard, who became the public face of the controversial right-to-die movement over the last few weeks, ended her own life Saturday at her home in Portland, Oregon. She was 29. "Goodbye to all my dear friends and family that I love. Today is the day I have chosen to pass away with dignity in the face of my terminal illness, this terrible brain cancer that has taken so much from me … but would have taken so much more," she wrote on Facebook. "The world is a beautiful place, travel has been my greatest teacher, my close friends and folks are the greatest givers.

A group of college friends reunite at a country retreat as the world ends around them in this intriguing apocalyptic drama. A text virus saying 'Goodbye World' has brought the world to a technological standstill, resulting in a breakdown of society. Mark Webber's academic and disgraced politician Gaby Hoffman are among the various ex-flames, consorts and acquaintances who pitch up at the rural home of survivalists Adrien Grenier and Kerry Bishe.

A group of college friends reunite at a country retreat as the world ends around them in this intriguing apocalyptic drama. A text virus saying 'Goodbye World' has brought the world to a technological standstill, resulting in a breakdown of society. Mark Webber's academic and disgraced politician Gaby Hoffman are among the various ex-flames, consorts and acquaintances who pitch up at the rural home of survivalists Adrien Grenier and Kerry Bishe.

If you're like us, you can't wait for the first day of every month, because you know that Netflix is going to add a ton of new movies and TV shows. You refresh your account over and over again at midnight, hoping that those titles listed in the "Recently Added" section update with something new and exciting rather than the same ol' titles you've been staring at for the last four weeks.

Well, lo and behold, we've gathered the most exciting movies and TV shows being added to America's most popular streaming service, straight from Netflix themselves.

"Rocky" fans will be pumped to know that the first five boxing flicks (sorry, "Rocky Balboa" fans) will be added August 1, joining other '70s, '80s, and '90s movie favorites "Face/Off" (slow-motion doves!), "Mad Max" (apocalyptic leather!), "Spice World" (spice up your life!), "The Birdcage" (Calista Flockhart was in this,...

The distributor, which recently reconfigured operations to focus primarily on digital distribution and will maintaining a theatrical presence where appropriate, has picked up Us and Canadian rights to the Katie Holmes vehicle.

The first acquisition under the new regime led by Berry Meyerowitz, whose Phase 4 Films was folded into the eOne apparatus, stars Holmes as an elementary school teacher moonlighting as a vigilante.

The film will open theatrically in autumn and also stars James Badge Dale, Mary Kay Place and Jean Smart. Karen Leigh Hopkins directed from her screenplay.

Eric and Rob Carliner produced Miss Meadows and eOne Films negotiated the deal with ICM Partners.

eOne Films Us’ upcoming slate includes David Cronenberg’s recent Cannes world premiere Maps To The Stars and the rom-com Two Night Stand.

The Phase 4 roster features Goodbye World starring Adrian Grenier, Ask Me Anything with Britt Robertson, Justin Long and Christian Slater and the Jay-z documentary Made In America directed...

The Santa Monica-based company has reported a flurry of market and post-market activity on its Croisette slate.

John V Soto’s The Reckoning starring Luke Hemsworth, Viva Bianca and Jonathan Lapaglia has gone to Anchor Bay/Starz for North America.

Lightning evp and general manager Ken DuBow announced deals on the crime thriller have closed in the Middle East (Eagle Films), Portugal (Media Page), Scandinavia (Atlantic Film), South Africa (Ster Kinekor), South Korea (Zecon Plus Corp), Thailand (Ipa), Turkey (Moviebox), Mexico (Renaissance) and Israel (Yes/Dbs).

Herschel Faber’s comedy Cavemen starring Chad Michael Murray and Camilla Belle and Alexis Knapp has been licensed to Benelux (Koch Media), China (Melting Culture), South Africa (Ster Kinekor), South Korea (Zecon Plus Corp), Turkey (D Productions), Germany (Lighthouse Home Entertainment) and UK (Bskyb).

Comedy Gods Behaving Badly starring Christopher Walken, Sharon Stone, John Turturro and Edie Falco has gone to China (Melting Culture), Germany (Pandastorm), Portugal (Films4You), South Korea (Joy...

Actors Demian Bichir, Adrian Grenier and Nate Parker, along with the writing/directing/producing team of Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck and Peter Del Vecho, who earned Oscars for Frozen, will present at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ 41st Student Academy Awards on Saturday, June 7, at 6 p.m. at the DGA Theater in Hollywood. The awards ceremony caps a week of industry activities for the 15 student filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad who were selected as winners this year.

Lee, Buck and Del Vecho took home Oscars earlier this year for the Animated Feature Film winner Frozen, the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Along with becoming the first female feature director in the history of the Walt Disney Animation Studios, Lee also wrote the screenplay for Frozen and co-wrote the 2012 Oscar nominee Wreck-it Ralph. Co-director Buck’s other animated feature credits include Pocahontas and Tarzan, and...

Lightning Entertainment has acquired international sales on the dramatic thriller directed starring Adrian Grenier and Gaby Hoffman.

Denis Hennelly directs the story of a couple living off the grid whose relationship is challenged when a swarm of old friends and acquaintances come knocking on their door after an apocalyptic cyber attack.

Rounding out the cast are Ben McKenzie and Caroline Dhavernas.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Goodbye World to buyers for the first time in Cannes and are confident the film will captivate them as it did us the first time we saw it,” said Lightning sales and acquisitions consultant Richard S Guardian. “This is a film and a story that audiences will seek out anywhere in the world.”

Lightning Entertainment evp and general manager Ken DuBow announced the acquisition after svp Joseph Dickstein negotiated the deal with producer Matthew Zamias.

Lightning’s sales slate include horror-thrillers Indigenous and Dark House, as well as...

Lightning Entertainment has acquired international sales on the dramatic thriller directed starring Adrian Grenier and Gaby Hoffman.

Denis Hennelly directs the story of a couple living off the grid whose relationship is challenged when a swarm of old friends and acquaintances come knocking on their door after an apocalyptic cyber attack.

Rounding out the cast are Ben McKenzie and Caroline Dhavernas.

“We’re thrilled to introduce Goodbye World to buyers for the first time in Cannes and are confident the film will captivate them as it did us the first time we saw it,” said Lightning sales and acquisitions consultant Richard S Guardian. “This is a film and a story that audiences will seek out anywhere in the world.”

Lightning Entertainment evp and general manager Ken DuBow announced the acquisition after svp Joseph Dickstein negotiated the deal with producer Matthew Zamias.

Lightning’s sales slate include horror-thrillers Indigenous and Dark House, as well as...

Indie films don’t often tackle issues that are big on a geographic scale — big drama sure, but big events are usually outside their budgetary range. An impending apocalypse is a good example of the type of topic beyond an indie’s reach, but there are exceptions including 2012′s It’s a Disaster which successfully married lots of laughs, some relationship drama and the possible end of the world. (Or at least the end of Los Angeles.) Goodbye World seems to start off on the same strong footing, but it becomes clear pretty quickly that director/co-writer Denis Hennelly isn’t entirely sure what kind of film he’s trying to make. There’s comedy, relationship drama and an impending apocalypse, but there’s also very little of value to hold it all together. There is plenty of bickering though. James (Adrian Grenier) and Lily (Kerry Bishé) are hosting some friends for the weekend at their rural...

Blame it on the Mayans, maybe, but 2012 and 2013 have seen a host of films with apocalypse on the brain, from big budget action flicks to meta-comedies like “This Is The End,” to smaller, more realistic dramedies like “It’s A Disaster." Director Denis Henry Hennelly’s “Goodbye World” falls more in line with the latter, situating a group of seven college friends in a Northern California cabin in the wake of a cyber attack. While it has its funny moments, it’s definitely not a comedy, but it seeks to acknowledge the weird ways in which people react to times of crisis, especially amongst this particular group, with their complicated personal histories. Will they implode from their own internal strife or outside threats? James (Adrian Grenier) and Lily (Kerry Bishé) have retreated from urban life, holing up with their four-year-old daughter Hannah (Mckenna Grace) in a stylishly appointed solar-powered cabin in NorCal.

Man has always been fascinated with the end of the world, but filmmakers seem extra intrigued recently, with World War Z, It's A Disaster, This is the End, After Earth, Oblivion, The Fifth Season, and Cloud Atlas all tackling the subject cinematically over the last year or so. Now we can add Denis Hennelly's Goodbye World to that list. With equal parts comedy and heart, Hennelly's film is one of the more entertaining films on the list. With a realistic scope and interpersonal relationships that sing of sincerity, Goodbye World is the kind of indie that has real potential to break out and find an audience. If the world doesn't come to an end first, that is. Set almost entirely on a remote Northern California...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Goodbye World director Denis Hennelly has acknowledged the influence of Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill on his own film, in which old college chums gather at the largely self-contained mountain house of James (Adrian Grenier, sporting a beard that just looks so slappable) and Lily (Kerry Bishé, who can totally do better) on the eve of a "large-scale cyber attack" that collapses the nation's infrastructure.

The Big Chill is a fine model to work from, since any apocalypse movie worth its now valuable salt focuses more on the characters than the destruction, but Goodbye World's two story tones never quite mesh.

The soapy material is at odds with the largely distant catastrophe, which often feels too abstract to be a real threat; the comp...

Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and own this week on the various streaming services such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods 47 Ronin (action; Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada; also available in 3D; rated PG-13) Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (comedy, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Christina Applegate; rated PG-13) Stage Fright (horror musical; Minnie Driver, Meat Loaf; premieres 4/3 on Mod and in theaters; rated R) Afflicted (horror thriller; Derek Lee, Clif Prowse; premieres 4/4 on Mod and in theaters; rated R) Goodbye World (drama; Adrian Grenier...

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Over the past year or so, we've seen the end of society come in a variety of ways on the big screen from the outlandish comedic takes courtesy of "This Is The End" and "The World's End," to more grim takes in fare like "World War Z" that sees civilization on the brink of collapse. But in "Goodbye World," the apocalypse is viewed from afar, from the relative comfort of a cabin in Northern California. Adrian Grenier, Ben McKenzie, Mark Webber, Gaby Hoffmann, and rapper Kid Cudi star in the film co-written and directed by Denis Henry Hennelly, that follows a group of estranged friends who reunited at an off the grid cabin, when a mass text triggers a crisis of apocalyptic proportions. And as you'll see in this exclusive clip, it's not necessarily hysteria that sets in right away, as these folks use the opportunity to take stock of...

We've just populated the image database with fresh images from Samuel Goldwyn Films and Phase 4 Films' "Goodbye World" starring Kerry Bishé, Caroline Dhavernas, Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffman, Ben McKenzie, Scott Mescudi, Remy Nozik and Mark Webber. The film opens in theaters on April 4th, 2014, and is directed by Denis Henry Hennelly from a script by Sarah Adina Smith and Hennelly. James and Lily live off the grid, raising their young daughter in a cocoon of comfort and sustainability. When a mysterious mass text ripples its way across the country, triggering a crippling, apocalyptic cyber-attack, their home transitions from sheltered modern oasis to a fortress for the estranged old friends that show up at their door for protection and community...

Gotham has finally found an actor to play Detective James Gordon, a role most recently made famous by Gary Oldman in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Trilogy, and it’s The O.C. and Southland alum Ben McKenzie.

According to the official logline, Gotham will see the character portrayed as, “an idealistic rookie detective for Gotham City Open Police Department’s Homicide Squad, a former college football star and a war hero.”

What do we know about the series? Well, it will pick up with a 12-year-old Bruce Wayne after the murder of his parents, and that crime is set to be main focus for Gordon. However, it will also include younger versions of many of Batman’s most iconic villains, including The Joker, Catwoman and The Riddler. It was revealed not too long ago that the ultimate goal of the series is to finish with Bruce becoming the Caped Crusader.

“Gotham” has a new top cop. The upcoming Fox drama series has cast Ben McKenzie in the lead role of Detective James Gordon, a representative from producer Warner Bros. Television told TheWrap. McKenzie is best known for his roles as officer Ben Sherman on TNT’s “Southland” and Ryan Atwood on Fox’s “The O.C.” His other TV credits include TBS’s “Men at Work” and NBC’s “Jag.” Also read: Pilot Season 2014: TheWrap’s Complete Network Guide He’ll soon be seen on the big screen in films “Goodbye World” with Adrian Grenier and “How to Love Like an Englishman” starring Jessica Alba,...

ComingSoon.net has your exclusive first look at the poster for director Denis Henry Hennelly's drama Goodbye World , starring Kerry Bishé, Caroline Dhavernas, Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffmann, Ben McKenzie, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Remy Nozik and Mark Webber. In the film, James and Lily live off the grid, raising their young daughter in a cocoon of comfort and sustainability. When a mysterious mass text ripples its way across the country, triggering a crippling, apocalyptic cyber attack, their home transitions from sheltered modern oasis to a fortress for the estranged old friends that show up at their door for protection and community. The unexpected reunion--abundant with revelry and remembrances, generously enhanced by organic wine and weed--is quickly undermined by the...

Samuel Goldwyn Films and Phase 4 Films have jointly acquired all Us rights to Denis Henry Hennelly’s Goodbye World.

The ensemble drama screened in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and follows a group of estranged friends who reunite as civilisation collapses.

Kerry Bishé, Caroline Dhavernas, Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffmann, Ben McKenzie, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Remy Nozik, and Mark Webber star.

Goldwyn and Phase 4 plan a spring 2014 release after negotiating the deal with Gersh and Eric Feig Entertainment and Media Law on behalf of the filmmakers.

Mary Pat Bentel, Picturesque Films’ Matthew G Zamias, Guy Moshe and Albertino Matalon produced.

Samuel Goldwyn Films and Phase 4 Films have partnered up to distribute "Goodbye World" in the Us. The film, which screened in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and features a large cast of notable stars including Adrian Grenier ("Entourage"), Gaby Hoffmann ("Louie"), Ben McKenzie ("Southland") and rapper Kid Cudi, is set to open next Spring.  "Goodbye World is a unique apocalyptic movie about what happens between a cataclysmic event and the trials of survival to come in the new world -- that time when you decide who you will stand with and who you will fight," said director Denis Henry Hennelly. The official plot synopsis: James and Lily live off the grid, raising their young daughter in a cocoon of comfort and sustainability. When a mysterious mass text ripples its way across the country, triggering a crippling, apocalyptic cyber attack, their home transitions from sheltered modern oasis to...

Samuel Goldwyn Films and Phase 4 Films have jointly acquired all U.S. rights to Denis Henry Hennelly’s “Goodbye World,” which screened in competition at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival, the companies announced Monday. The film stars Kerry Bishé, Caroline Dhavernas, Adrian Grenier, Gaby Hoffmann, Ben McKenzie, Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi), Remy Nozik and Mark Webber as a group of estranged friends who reunite as civilization collapses. Also Read: Anita Hill Documentary ‘Anita’ Acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films Samuel Goldwyn Films and Phase 4 Films are planning to release “Goodbye World” in the spring. Hennelly directed from a script he co-wrote with.

Teresa Palmer is tying the knot. The Warm Bodies actress, 27, and Goodbye World actor Mark Webber, 33, are engaged to be married, E! News reports. Rumors that the couple's relationship had taken a step to the next level began to swirl on Friday when photos of Palmer, sporting a diamond sparkler on her ring finger, surfaced. But while her rep has confirmed their engagement, the ring Palmer was seen wearing is not the ring. In fact, it's just a prop from a future film. "She is engaged; however, the ring in the photo is not her engagement ring," Palmer's rep clarifies.

She said yes! Teresa Palmer, Warm Bodies actress, is engaged to actor Mark Webber, her rep confirmed to Us Weekly.  "I think I've said the word 'fiance' over 100 times in the last few hours," Palmer tweeted on Aug. 3. "It sounds so nice. So happy." The 27-year-old actress met the Goodbye World actor, 33, over Twitter last September. "This is actually really embarrassing," she told Australia's Herald Sun in March. "I looked him up after I saw the trailer for his film End of Love and realized we [...]...

Teresa Palmer is a bride-to-be! The 27-year-old Warm Bodies star is engaged to Goodbye World actor Mark Webber, her rep confirmed exclusively to E! News. Rumors flew that Webber had popped the question after photos of Palmer wearing a diamond band around her left ring finger surfaced Friday. Ironically, she wasn't wearing her engagement ring in the shot, although she is set to tie the knot. "She is engaged, however the ring in the photo is not her engagement ring," her rep told E! News. "She is wearing the ring from her film until she gets the real one back from being sized." Back in April, Palmer told Who magazine she was ready for marriage and babies with Webber,...

He's come a long way from playing Vinny Chase: Adrian Grenier steps out this week as executive producer of the documentary "How to Make Money Selling Drugs."

Best known for his eight-season portrayal of an often superficial and flighty star on the rise in HBO's "Entourage," Grenier is nowadays more interested in passion projects like this one. "How to Make Money" outlines the ins and outs of buying and selling recreational drugs, using a video game framing device that explains how to beat bosses (avoid cops) and level up (go from small-time dealer to kingpin).

The doc premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival to positive reviews, many of which cited its candid take on the tough issue of the drug war and the day-to-day reality of selling and using street drugs. Grenier, who avoids referring to himself as an activist, chatted with NextMovie prior to the movie's June 26 release...

Man has always been fascinated with the end of the world but filmmakers seem extra intrigued recently with World War Z, It's A Disaster, This is the End, After Earth, Oblivion, The Fifth Season, and Cloud Atlas all tackling the subject cinematically over the last year. Now we can add Denis Hennelly's Goodbye World to that list. With equal parts comedy and heart, Hennelly's film is one of the more entertaining films on the list. With a realistic scope and interpersonal relationships that sing of sincerity, Goodbye World is the kind of indie that has real potential to break out and find an audience. If the world doesn't come to an end first, that is. Set almost entirely on a remote Northern California hilltop,...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Note: This review contains mild spoilers.Blame it on the Mayans, maybe, but 2012 and 2013 have seen a host of films with apocalypse on the brain, from big budget action flicks to meta-comedies like “This Is The End,” to smaller, more realistic dramedies like “It’s A Disaster,” which made its premiere at last year’s L.A. Film Fest (we even wrote a guide on the 2013 apocalypse movies). Director Denis Henry Hennelly’s “Goodbye World” falls more in line with the latter, situating a group of seven college friends in a Northern California cabin in the wake of a cyber attack. While it has its funny moments, it’s definitely not a comedy, but it seeks to acknowledge the weird ways in which people react to times of crisis, especially amongst this particular group, with their complicated personal histories. Will they implode from their own internal strife or outside threats?...

We've had quite the week of exclusive first looks at some of the films that are playing the L.A. Film Fest this year, and as the festival kicks off tonight, we've got another exclusive clip from one of the films in the narrative competition -- the intriguing apocalyptic drama "Goodbye World," featuring a killer cast of Adrian Grenier, Ben McKenzie, Mark Webber, Gaby Hoffmann and rapper Kid Cudi. The film, directed by Denis Henry Hennelly, takes place in the wake of an apocalyptic cyber attack, at an off-the-grid cabin where a group of friends seek shelter. In the clip, Hoffman and Kid Cudi's characters talk about his possibly shady past working as a "private contractor" in Lebanon and the skills he learned from that, while Grenier and McKenzie disagree about the stakes of the situation at hand. While there's no shortage of apocalypse movies at hand this year,...

Gaby Hoffmann stars in two films premiering at the Los Angeles Film Festival (June 13-23 in downtown L.A.) — Crystal Fairy, co-starring Michael Cera and directed by Sebastian Silva, and Goodbye World, co-starring Adrien Grenier and directed by Denis Hennelly. Hoffmann was a child actress, with featured roles in classics like Sleepless in Seattle and Field of Dreams. More recently, she’s starred in Silva’s HBO Go series The Boring Life of Jacqueline and the upcoming independent film Burma, plus had recent guest spots on The Good Wife and Homeland. Below in a post as-told-to EW’s Laura Hertzfeld,...

When civilization finally cracks, and the world turns on itself, it might be important to be surrounded by friends.

Maybe.

In Goodbye World, an apocalyptic drama that will have its world premiere on Saturday at the Los Angeles Film Festival, Adrian Grenier and Kerry Bishé (Argo) play a wealthy couple whose rural home becomes an oasis for all their old Stanford University pals after a mysterious cyber attack cripples society. For awhile, the emergency reunion seems like a nice opportunity to catch up on old times, but as reality closes in, friendships are tested as old resentments surface. “The beginning...

The summertime, downtown set, glitzy yet ‘cashz’ La Film Festival, presented by Film Independent has announced their film lineup today. The verdict on the Latino rep? Compared to the last three festivals I’ve examined this year, Sundance, SXSW and Tribeca, La Film Festival comes through with arguably the most valuable representation; there are three films representing American Latino in the narrative competition and one in documentary competition.

The lineup consists of a handful of new American indies mixed in with many favorited international films from last year’s Toronto, Venice, London and Berlin film festivals, and seven Sundance films screening out of competition including Ryan Coogler’s Fruitvale Station, which won both the Audience and Jury Awards in Park City. Starring Boricua Melonie Diaz as Oakland police murder victim Oscar Grant’s girlfriend, Fruitvale will be given the gala treatment (like last year’s Sundance awarded, Black film, Middle of Nowhere), alongside the direct-from-Cannes, Only God Forgives, the reteaming of director Nicolas Winding Refyn and GQ sensitive alpha hero Ryan Gosling (Drive).

But I’m not here to comb and recycle through the ‘high profile’ films that come armed with buzz. As always I’m spotlighting U.S. films in which the writer/director/cast are native born whose ethnic/cultural roots originates from Mexico, Central or South America. In addition, films by filmmakers who may not be Latino, but whose narratives explore and relate to the relevant bi-cultural experience/subjects. And finally I also like to mention the Latin films (international).

While I’m happy to acknowledge and give it up for La, it’s still painful for this blogger/programmer to know there are so many more fresh American Latino films out there ready to be discovered. Game-changing films offering such fresh and original perspectives, which have by and large been dismissed by most of the major Us Film Festivals. With the futures of the two highest profile Latino niche festivals in limbo, The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival and HBO’s NY International Latino Film Festival, it’s especially crushing to know that these films might also be robbed of their only community platform. It’s cause for alarm and high time to address this void. But wait, lets save that for another post. For now, lets get back to the Latino stories coming at you at this year’s La Film Festival. For official synopsis and pics check the Film Guide here.

Narrative Competition – Notably 9 of the 12 are Us, hopefully giving the scrappy indies a better chance to compete and win the cash prize against the healthy subsidized production value of foreign movies. Five are first features and only one female narrative director.

40 Years From Yesterday written and directed by Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck and Robert Machoian

This is the first feature from the writing/directing team who got a lot of attention with their 2010 short Charlie and The Rabbit. Ojeda-Beck (whose parents are from Peru) and Machoian who is from the heavily Mexican populated King City, met at Cal State, Monterey Bay where they forged a tight artistic collaboration. Forty Years from Yesterday is described as Machoian’s imagination of how his mother’s death would unfold for his own family, capturing the loss his siblings would feel in losing a parent and his father’s pain in facing the death of his partner.

The duo have their way with documentary, fiction and experimental form, instilling an aura of temporality in an anchored realism. This unique evocative alchemy is found in Machoian’s doc short, Movies Made from Home #16, a 4 minute existential moment which screened at Sundance this year. The cosmic life themes they tend to broach are treated in such a down to earth and sensitive way, which is further made relatable by the natural non-pro performances they employ. Robert’s father, Bill Graham has starred in a few of his films and in Forty Years from Yesterday, both Robert’s parents and siblings play themselves. See this endearing behind the scenes clip of the making of the film:

The House That Jack Built written by Joseph B. Vasquez and directed by Henry Barrial

Written by the late Joseph B. Vasquez (d 1995) whose 1991 movie, Hanging with the Homeboys, was a groundbreaking urban comedy when it came out, now very much a classic albeit sadly forgotten gem. The only one of Vasquez’s five movies that was distributed (by New Line), Hanging with the Homeboys was shot in the South Bronx where he was born and raised. About four homeys, two Puerto Rican (one of them played by a baby-faced Johnny Leguizamo) and two Black, the movie, available on dvd from Amazon (or, I found it in 6 parts on Youtube) screened at the Sundance Film Festival at its indie darling peak. Its good-natured humor is derived from neighborhood beefs, trying to rap to ladies, and the racial tensions of the day delivered with unapologetic commentary. An overall glimpse into a day in the barrio slice life, the film is clearly an early influence for the Ice Cube Friday series.

The House that Jack Built similarly has that raw and authentic Nuyorican energy but pushed into a rollercoaster of a dysfunctional family drama with warmth, affection and intensity. The director, born from Cuban parents and raised in Washington Heights, Henry Barrial, is also an alumni of Sundance (Somebody 2001). The film stars E.J. Bonilla as the hot-blooded self-imposed king of his family who buys an apartment building to keep his family close, only to start dictating everybody’s life since he’s letting them live rent free. Bonilla is a fiercely charismatic up and coming actor who was last at the festival with the film Mamitas in 2011 and was also in Don’t Let Me Drown (Sundance 2010). An uproarious and high-edged Harlem set chamber piece, the heavy conflict of gravity that besets Jack is from being pulled in opposite directions by his street values on one side and deeply rooted family values on the other. See the trailer on their Kickstarter page.

My Sister’S Quinceanera written and directed by Aaron Douglas Johnston

This was reportedly one of the most talked about American films in the experimental leaning Rotterdam Film Festival this year. The filmmaker who was born and raised in Iowa, Aaron Douglas Johnston, has an impressive academic pedigree having attended world prestigious universities, Oxford and Yale. His first feature, the small town, gay life set, Bumblefuck, USA screened at Outfest 2011. In My Sister’s Quinceanera, he uses the local Mexican-American Iowa residents as his non-pro actors with whom he collaborated with on the story. It’s a gentle and earnest portrayal of a young man named Silas who is convinced he has to leave town to become independent and start his life but must first see his sister’s Quinceanera take place.

Workers written and directed by Jose Luis Valle (Mexico/Germany) - A quietly simmering artful drama about a retiring factory worker and housemaid in Tijuana circumstantially reunited and trying to compensate for their spent lives. An accomplished and arresting feature debut, the film premiered at the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section and won Best Mexican Film at the Guadalajara film Festival. A full investment into the contemplative tone and rhythm yields an appreciation for the film’s visceral and dry humor undertones. Born in El Salvador, Jose Luis Valle previously made a documentary short called Milagro del Papa.

Documentary Competition: 7 out 10 are Us, 4 first features, six female directors (incl. 2 co-directors)

Tapia directed by Eddie Alcazar

The 5 time world boxing champion and emotionally damaged blue-eyed Chicano from the 505, Johnny Lee Tapia, survived a series of near deaths before his turbulent life ended at the young age of 45 last year. The sheer volume of tragedy and coping afflictions Johnny endured in his Vida Loca, as he openly shares in his autobiography, includes the scarring experience of seeing his mother’s kidnapping and violent murder at the tender age of eight. Tapia funneled his heartbreaking life to fuel a successful professional boxing career. Tapia’s confrontation to such tumult is so impressive, it’s no wonder that former EA video game designer Eddie Alcazar decided to both dramatize and document his harrowing real life story. Originally announced as a biopic, subsequently the documentary was born of it, in which Eddie captures final interviews and archival footage with the haunted boxer. Remarkably, watching the clip below, a slight zeal and spirit, however low key and worn, emanates from the towering rumble of his battered lifetime – unquestionably his refusal to be knocked out. This is actually the first feature out of the gate for filmmaker Eddie Alcazar whose radical sci-fi film 0000 has been curiously tracked as in production for a couple years now. The ambitious looking trailer only piqued mad interest when it was released last year.

Purgatorio directed by Rodrigo Reyes (Mexico) - An elegiac and cinematically shot poem filled with emotional narration and iconography, this border film is told by way of a tapestry of stories that culminates into a strong cry for human compassion. Imagining the border as if purgatory, where migrants must suffer in order to get through to the other side, the dangerous plight in crossing the Us/Mexico border is viewed outside political context but rather a metaphysical prism. This is the fourth film from Reyes, a talented young documentarian from Mexico.

International Showcase

Europa Report directed by Sebastian Cordero and written by Philip Gelatt - From award winning Ecuador born filmmaker Sebastian Cordero (Rabia, Cronicas, Pescador) Europa Report marks his first film in English. Somewhat shrouded in mystery, the story is written by Philip Gelatt, an adult comic book author, and is set aboard the first manned mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa. The genre bending sounding sci-fi thriller was recently picked up by Magnolia’s Magnet division and will go straight to VOD on June 27 after its La Film Festival premiere. Cordero, who is a UCLA grad, has a well-controlled gritty realism to his aesthetic, which might inhabit and distinguish this deep space thriller among the genre’s canon.

Crystal Fairy written and directed by Sebastian Silva (Chile) - From the crafty young Chilean filmmaker whose first first film, The Maid put him on the international map, this is one of two films he screened at Sundance this year. A road trip of self-discovery featuring the charming free spirited Gaby Hoffman pitted against a smarmy American tourist Michael Cera in the long and vast Chilean coast side, the film explores their unusual and fluid character dynamic and opposing auras.

The Women And The Passenger directed by Valentina Mac-Pherson, Patricia Correra (Chile) - A 45 minute version of this screened at the prestigious documentary film festival in Amsterdam Idfa. An unobtrusive camera follows four maids as they clean the rooms of one of those clandestine by-the-hour motels. Amid the moans behind doors and bed aftermaths of torrid love affairs, the women reveal their own perspectives about life, love and sex in some kind of visual love letter to the special place. I don’t believe the title is translated to interpret its full meaning, its more like, “The Transients’ women”.

Shorts

I Was Born In Mexico But…. written and directed by Corey OHama - 12min (Us) - Per the IMDb description, “using found footage to tell the story of an undocumented young woman who grew up thinking she was American, only to find out as a teenager that she didn’t have papers because she was brought to the U.S. as a young child. “ Sounds like the thousands of Dreamers plights whose stories are being suppressed.

Misterio written and directed by Chema Garcia Ibarra (Spain) 12min - So even though this is from Spain (not the Americas), I mention it if because I’m a huge fan of Chema’s shorts, Protoparticles and The Attack of the Robots from Nebula-5. I have no doubt this will share that similar strange, whimsical vibe.

Al Lado De Norma written and directed by Camila Luna, Gabriela Maturana 14min (Chile) - 49 year-old Jorge is a silent, tired man, whose life seems to revolve around Norma, his elderly mother who has Alzheimer’s. But Antonio, who rents a small room in their home, will provide him with the chance to examine himself and question his monotonous life, which might just make for a radical change.

Papel Picado – written and directed by Javier Barboza - From a 2007 Cal Arts Alumnus, and independent animation teacher and filmmaker, this looks wild! Check out his vimeo works here.

Saint John, The Longest Night, written and directed by Claudia Huaiquimilla (Chile) 18 min - The filmmaker is of the indigenous Mapuche tribe of Southern Chile. Set amid the happy Saints celebration of June 24, a young boy must wrestle with the reappearance of his violent father.

Too Much Water (Demasiada Agua) written and directed by Nicolas Botana, Gonzalo Torrens (Uruguay) 14 min - A young woman fills her backyard pool every night and finds it empty in the morning. Strange neighbors and even stranger circumstances stir her paranoia.

Lastly, I have to mention dance beat rapper Kid Cudi’s feature film acting debut in Goodbye World directed by Denis Hennelly (Rock the Bells doc about Wu Tang Clan) and written by Sarah Adina Smith. Essentially, the film is about a group of friends hanging out when some kind of apocalypse hits. Hijinks ensue. (There’s a trend here after It’s A Disaster and the upcoming “look-we’re-so-cool-celebs partying of This is The End). Although it’s a small role, it is the first of a number of films Kid Cudi is in that are coming through the pipelines. Born Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi in Cleveland Ohio, he is a beautiful brown blend of African American on his mother’s side and Native/Mexican mix on his father’s side.

The La Film Festival kicks off with Pedro Almodovar’s, I’m So Excited on June 13 and runs until the 23. Tickets and info here.

Kid Cudi may be beefing big time with his label over allegations that they're not promoting his tunes to radio, but the G.O.O.D. Music Mc seems to have no problems with Hollywood.

After a well-received stint as a lovable dope slinger on HBO's canceled "How To Make It in America," Scott Mescudi has signed on for his second big screen feature. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Cudi is lined up to star alongside "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul in the Dreamworks adaptation of the video game "Need for Speed."

The cast already includes Imogen Poots ("Jane Eyre"), Dominic Cooper ("Captain America: The First Avenger"), Ramon Rodriguez (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen"), Rami Malek ("The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2") and Harrison Gilbertson ("Virginia"). The movie, due out in February 2014, will focus on street racer Paul, framed for the auto racing accident that takes his best friend's life...

Scott "Kid Cudi' Mescudi's acting run got cut a bit short when HBO cancelled How To Make It In America, but he's been making his move into features as of late. He's set to make his big screen debut later this year with both Max Nichols' Two Night Stand and Denis Hennelly's Goodbye World and today he's added another title to his docket. Deadline says that the artist/music producer has landed a part in the upcoming video game adaptation Need For Speed. The movie, scripted by John and George Gatins, stars Aaron Paul as Tobey Marshall, a young man who is framed for a racing accident that ends up killing his best friend. Upon being released from prison he races from New York to Los Angeles to get revenge against the man really responsbile. The trade adds that Ramon Rodriguez, Rami Malek and Harrison Gilbertson have...

After eight-seasons on the testosterone-soaked series about fame, fortune and hangers-on in Hollywood, Entourage came to a close last year, opening up the schedules of its cast for better or for worse. Since then, Adrian Grenier's shot Goodbye World, a indie comedy that could debut next year; Kevin Dillon fronted the short-lived sitcom How to Be a Gentleman opposite It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia's David Hornsby, and Kevin Connolly appeared in Sebastian Gutierrez's under-the-radar drama Hotel Noir. In short, since the series' cancellation the Entourage boys are struggling to find their groove, save for Jerry Ferrara, who landed a role in the spring hit Think Like a Man and now may join the star-stacked ensemble comedy Last Vegas. Penned by Crazy, Stupid, Love scribe Dan Fogelman and Definitely, Maybe writer-director Adam Brooks, Last Vegas stars Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, and Kevin Kline as four...