So it should serve as a pleasant surprise that “Star Trek: Section 31” arrives full of nuance and charm.

Viewers actually do not need to know any Section 31 lore or have watched “Star Trek: Discovery” — the “Trek” series from which the film is spun off — to understand what is happening in the film, although, if you have, some of the emotional stakes will hit harder. The film itself quickly brings viewers up to speed via a communication from Section 31 command to Alok Sahar (Omari Hardwick), the leader of a covert ops team. He is instructed to recruit Phillipa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). Georgiou has been a character in “Discovery” since the first season: the briefing quickly recaps the reveal that she was the emperor of the Terran Empire in the Mirror Universe (you know, the evil Earth one where Spock had a beard, and Uhura had a thigh dagger), and that she was brought to the prime universe, became an agent for Section 31, saved the universe, traveled forward in time, traveled back in time and now is the owner of a nightclub (a lot happens in “Discovery”). Alok reluctantly recruits Georgiou and they, along with their team of misfits, must track down a terrifying weapon before it can be used to destroy the Federation.

It’s a simple but effective premise. Despite its title, the film is barely about Section 31, the division being more of a plot device to get all these characters together and on mission. The film —directed and written by “Discovery” alums Olatunde Osunsanmi and Craig Sweeny — is actually more about Georgiou herself.

One of the franchise’s most complicated characters, Georgiou is not traditional Starfleet material. “Discovery” established that when she was emperor in the Mirror Universe, she was a horrific dictator who committed genocide on multiple planets. This kind of character bio is typically reserved for the quintessential “Star Trek” villain. However, she became a fan favorite in Season 2 of “Discovery,” mainly because of Yeoh’s natural charisma —“evil mommy” is how I can best describe her vibe — and her chemistry with the show’s protagonist Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). Her bond with Michael and other characters in the series caused her to begin questioning her “might makes right” Terran values and to act in more ethical, although not too ethical, ways.

“Section 31” continues Georgiou’s arc from lawful evil to chaotic neutral. For one thing, as the film’s opening flashback reveals, she became emperor of the Terran empire after decimating her opposition in a “Hunger Games”-like combat competition, poisoning her family to eliminate any potential weaknesses and subjugating her boyfriend — San (played as a teenager by James Huang and as an adult by James Hiroyuki Liao), the Peeta to her Katniss — to servitude. It’s brutal, but it is a look into why Georgiou is the way she is. In order to survive, Georgiou had to embody Nietzsche’s master morality that forms the basis of the Terran empire: “the girl I knew has been murdered,” as San laments.

The film doesn’t excuse her past actions. In fact, she grapples with the idea of what it means to “be infected with a conscience” in this new universe where more is expected of her. This mission confronts her with her own culpability: She is the one who ordered the creation of the movie’s McGuffin —the weapon of mass destruction the team is tasked to find — when she was emperor, a weapon so evil that its makers committed suicide on its completion. Can she atone for that? Or, at least, choose to be better? Underneath all that arrogant bravado (“I’m the only one I could never defeat”) is a deeply tragic figure that can no longer deny the consequences of her actions.

Despite all of this deep, philosophical exploration of character, Georgiou and the movie are also just plain fun. It’s a spy thriller, a genre not often utilized by “Star Trek,” complete with a mole hunt and the fast tempos and pulsing rhythms of a spy score, composed by Jeff Russo. While Section 31 was originally introduced as a way to foil spy fiction with a more realistic look at how spycraft works, this film leans into a more “Mission: Impossible” style fantasy, complete with gadgets and stunts. The film is divided into “chapters” with titles like “One Night in Baraam” and “The Godsend,” reminiscent of the films of Quentin Tarantino and a nod back to the spinoff series origins of the film. There are some wonderful set pieces that show off Yeoh’s formidable action chops, including a kinetic brawl in Georgiou’s night club where she wears the most magnificent cape ever seen in a “Star Trek.” It’s a “Star Wars” level cape.

The other characters on the team provide great support to Georgiou in their various shades of moral alignment. One is recognizable by name to fans as Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), future captain of the Enterprise-C from the classic “Star Trek: The Next Generation” episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” The uptight representative of Starfleet, she’s there to make sure the team doesn’t violate any ethical boundaries — she has to tell Georgiou multiple times not to assassinate anyone — but she clearly also struggles with following strict procedure in the face of complex situations. Other characters are original to the film, including the neurotic shapeshifter Quasi (Sam Richardson), Deltan honey trap Melle (Humberly González), himbo mech-head Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok) and a-nano-species-inside-a-robot-Vulcan Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), who inexplicably speaks with an Irish accent. Alok himself is a survivor of the often referenced Eugenics Wars; he’s genetically augmented and, thus, is not allowed to officially join Starfleet. He is suspicious of Georgiou because he’s met dictators before and is unsure if she can be redeemed, but there is also genuine connection and chemistry between them, an understanding of the horrors of being forced to be part of a paradigm that they now regret.

The group becomes, well, maybe not a family, but certainly a team that respects each other for who they are, not who they were.

The first “Star Trek” film in almost 10 years — yes, Justin Lin’s “Star Trek: Beyond” was released in 2016 – “Section 31” is under a lot of pressure, but, despite my initial reservations, it manages to stick the landing. My only critique is that I wish this was a series as originally intended as I would love to spend more time with these characters. Using Section 31 is a clever way of interrogating redemption arcs and who utopias allow to be included, but the film resists the urge to give into the cynicism that has irked fans of “Star Trek” about the organization in the past. “Star Trek: Section 31” has a distinct personality while still feeling like a “Trek” film, with characters outside of the normal scope of the franchise.

“Star Trek: Section 31” premieres Friday, Jan. 24, on Paramount+.

The post ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Review: Michelle Yeoh Proves Skeptics Wrong in Charming Paramount+ Spinoff Film appeared first on TheWrap.

It’s been an action-packed season for the ladies of “The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” and they’re ready to lay it all out in the reunion.

The whole gang is here, including Lisa Barlow, Angie Katsanevas, Mary Crosby, Heather gay, Meredith Marks and Bronwyn Newport. Plus, friend of the show Britani Bateman stops by to throw in her two cents as well.

Between Newport realizing she and Barlow only shared a “social friend” type of relationship, Rose’s Alibaba drama and Crosby’s husband being a no-show, the first installment of the three-part reunion is already starting off hot. No safe words — even “opa” or “besos” — will keep these ladies from sharing their true feelings.

We’ve laid out every big moment from the first portion. Check out the five biggest revelations below.

Whitney Rose Explains Her PRISM-Alibaba Drama

After speculation all season, Rose finally shared the backstory on why images that were supposedly from Chinese-owned online marketplace Alibaba, were uploaded to the website for her jewelry company PRISM. During the season, Meredith revealed to some members of the group that some people online believed Whitney was passing Alibaba jewelry off as her own. Whitney said the photo was merely a “placeholder” that was uploaded by her PRISM vendor.

“That photo was there for about 48 hours as a placeholder … that was sent from our vendor — it’s not Alibaba,” Rose said. “We always do a photoshoot. We hadn’t had a chance; my partner’s in Vancouver, she was doing the photoshoot in Vancouver. That photo was there as a placeholder for a short period of time and it was swapped out once we had a model for it. I do not source from Alibaba. I curated a fashion affordable line. So our biggest complaint is that people want to buy my jewelry but they can’t afford it, so I curated fashion pieces that we tie in like an intention to it. Like, when you receive the box, we have our custom designs that we do. I would not tattoo something from Alibaba.”

Lisa Barlow Says Jeweler Revealed Bronwyn Newport and Hubby Todd Never Actually Bought the $4 Million Necklace

Bronwyn Newport’s lavish lifestyle and unique taste in fashion grabbed fans’ attention as she welcomed herself as the newest housewife. And because of that, no one blinked an eye when Newport’s husband, Todd Bradley, pulled his wallet out to purchase a $4 million, 170-carat necklace as a surprise gift to her to celebrate their 10 years of marriage. During the reunion, Bronwyn shared that instead of the hefty spend, she opted for a smaller carat diamond necklace and hoop earrings.

But Lisa Barlow had a different story. She revealed that she personally knows one of the jewelry store employees — named Ema — and they told her the couple never purchased the necklace, nor a pair of $1.4 million earrings, and that it was just a loan the entire time. To further support her story, Barlow shared text messages from Ema, stating the jewelry associate reached out to her after seeing the show. Via text, the Ema claimed Newport and Bradley were supposed to send the money through a wire transfer, but never did.

Newport’s response to Barlow’s statements?

“Well, the next time I see you, I’ll be sure to wear both … I don’t know that we’ll see each other any time soon, but that’s disgusting,” Newport said.

Bronwyn Asked Production to Cut Scenes That Featured Details About the Paternal Side of Her Daughter’s Family

Earlier in the season, Bronwyn Newport opened up about how she was extradited from the Mormon community after getting pregnant with her daughter, Gwen, as an unmarried, 19-year-old college student at Brigham Young University (BYU) — an act that the Mormon Church frowns upon, per the “RHOSLC” cast. Subsequently, Newport dropped out of BYU. Newport states that Gwen’s grandparents have never reached out to build a relationship with their granddaughter, though Newport has contacted them in the past.

The topic became a conversation between Newport and Lisa Barlow after Barlow revealed she is close with Gwen’s paternal side, stating she saw a photo of Gwen’s father in Gwen’s grandparents’ home. Because Barlow has her own relationship with Gwen’s estranged family, she maintained that she sees both perspectives and doesn’t want to choose a side to support one more than the other. But after looking at the season, Newport took issue with Barlow seemingly defending Gwen’s family’s supposed actions. In unseen footage, Barlow tells Newport that she “thinks” the family believes Newport had a miscarriage and that no child has ever existed.

During the reunion, Newport reveals she asked production to remove scenes that included her discussion of Gwen’s biological father and his family, saying she didn’t want to “out” any other identifying details about him as she’s never shown anyone what he looks like, even her husband until recently.

By the end of it, Barlow admitted that she had no idea about Newport’s production request and that she regrets ever discussing it. There are no details on whether there’s a path forward for Newport and Barlow, but Barlow called said “this is a horrible situation for everybody.”

Mary Crosby Explains Why Her Husband, Robert Sr., Didn’t Attend the Reunion

Between Justin Rose and John Barlow’s near-fight encounter and Seth Marks calling Angie Katsanevas the b-word, the husbands of “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” showed up and showed out. But one hubby was missing: Mary Crosby’s boo, Robert Sr.

Her explanation for his lack of attendance is that he obviously doesn’t want to be part of “any of this.”

“He’s happy and he’s good with his life and he’s not wanting nothing to interrupt it,” Crosby added.

Todd Bradley Apologetically Explains His “Blunt” Communication With Wife, Bronwyn, During the Season

It was very clear throughout the season that Bronwyn Newport’s husband, Todd Bradley, was a no-nonsense guy. And after a few incidents where Bradley was very curt with, seemingly dismissive of and authoritative over Newport, watchers shared their concerns through a fan question.

Both Newport and Bradley took accountability for the way they spoke to one another during the season and shared that the show has “strengthened” their relationship, as the two have discussed better communication practices.

“The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City” airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

The post 5 Revelations From ‘Real Housewives of Salt Lake City’ Season 5 Reunion Part 1: Whitney Explains the Alibaba Drama appeared first on TheWrap.

The complaints were filed by The Center for American Rights, a self-described “nonpartisan public interest law firm.” The firm accused ABC Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV of favoring Vice President Kamala Harris when the network hosted the September presidential debate, New York’s WCBS-TV for “news distortion” for the way Harris’ “60 Minutes” interview was edited, and New York’s WNBC-TV of violating the FCC’s equal time rule when Harris appeared on “Saturday Night Live” during the weekend leading up to the presidential election.

In her decision last week, Rosenworcel said that the complaints had aimed to “weaponize” the agency and were “at odds” with the First Amendment. In the order denying the complaints against WPVI and WCBS, the FCC said that the First Amendment restricts the agency from interfering with the free press. In the order denying the complaint against WNBC, the agency noted that the station complied with the equal time rule by giving Trump airtime the next day during a NASCAR race and an NFL “Sunday Night Football” game. She added that the FCC “should not be the President’s speech police” or “journalism’s censor-in-chief.”

But Carr argues that Rosenworcel’s order was “issued prematurely based on an insufficient investigatory record for the station-specific conduct at issue.”

“We therefore conclude that this complaint requires further consideration,” he added. “Thus, on our own motion and pursuant to our existing authority under section 1.113 of the Commission’s rules, we hereby set aside the Letter Order and reinstate the complaint.”

The decision to reinstate the complaints come as president Donald Trump has previously called for the broadcast licenses of ABC, NBC and CBS to be revoked over their coverage during the campaign.

Meanwhile, a fourth complaint filed by the Media and Democracy Project, which pushed to revoke the broadcast license of Fox Philadelphia’s WTXF-TV, will not have its dismissal reversed. The complaint, which was supported by former News Corp. government relations head Preston Padden, alleged that the Dominion Voting System lawsuit against Fox Corp. showed that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch lacked the “character” to hold a broadcast license.

In the order denying the complaint against WTFX, the FCC said the character assessment requested is “at odds with the First Amendment and continued freedom of the press” and that previous actions that revoked broadcast licenses for “character” issues “involved the station’s clear failure to comply with agency rules (not at issue here) or a clearly adjudicated felony for the station owner (also not at issue here).”

In a joint statement, the Media and Democracy Project and Padden said they “look forward to presenting on appeal the multiple court decisions that raise serious questions about the Murdochs’ and Fox’s character qualifications to remain broadcast licensees.”

They noted that the petition is based on “judicial findings that Fox made repeated false statements that undermined the electoral process and resulted in property damage, injury and death; that Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch engaged in a ‘carefully crafted scheme’ in ‘bad faith’ to deprive Lachlan’s siblings of the control to which they are entitled under an irrevocable trust; and that ‘Murdoch knowingly caused the corporation to violate the law.’”

“As renowned First Amendment scholar Floyd Abrams stated in his filing with the Commission, the First Amendment is no bar to Commission action given the facts of this case. Our petition is clearly distinct from the other politically motivated complaints,” they added. “It simply will be wrong if the Murdochs and Fox escape any responsibility for their prominent role for the riot at the Capitol on January 6th and the efforts to overturn the results of a presidential election.”

Carr has previously said that the “news distortion” complaint against CBS is likely to arise in the context of the agency’s review of Paramount Global’s pending $8 billion merger with Skydance Media. The deal, which is on track to close in the first half of 2025, is subject to regulatory approval from the FCC due to a required transfer of broadcast licenses.

The Center for American Rights has asked that approval of the merger be conditioned upon Paramount’s commitment that it will avoid foreign influence and promote viewpoint diversity – going as far as suggesting the agency coordinate with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) or other national security agencies to review the transaction.

It argues that an investment in Skydance from Tencent Holdings raises questions about “troubling questions about undue foreign influence from China.” It also claims that CBS News has “exhibited improper ideological bias” and that CBS Television has “apparently engaged in illegal racial quotas for its hiring.”

Skydance and Paramount have asked the FCC to dismiss the firm’s objections to the merger, arguing the viewpoint neutrality condition would “improperly encroach on broadcasters’ editorial discretion” and violate the First Amendment. They also said that the allegations of Chinese influence have “no factual foundation and are legally unavailing” and that Tencent’s “entirely passive, non-attributable, minority interests present no basis for concern about undue influence.”

The post Complaints of Bias, ‘News Distortion’ Against CBS, ABC and NBC Reinstated by Trump-Appointed FCC Chair appeared first on TheWrap.

Monday’s college national championship game between Ohio State and Notre Dame brought in an impressive audience.

The matchup, which saw the Buckeyes take victory over the Fighting Irish, scored 22.1 million viewers on Monday night, according to Nielsen viewing figures. The game peaked with 26.1 million viewers from 8:30-8:45 p.m. ET.

The game currently ranks as the most-watched non-NFL sporting event over the past year, and drew the biggest audience of the inaugural 12-team college football playoffs.

The Ohio State-Notre Dame game followed up on the 2025 inauguration of Donald Trump, which brought in an average total viewership of 24.59 million from 10:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET across 15 networks, including in the viewership include ABC, CBS, NBC, Merit Street Media, Telemundo, Univision, CNBC, CNN, CNNe, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, MSNBC, Newsmax, NewsNation and PBS.

Monday night’s game saw a slightly bigger audience Rose Bowl game between Oregon and Ohio State, which scored 21.1 million viewers. By comparison the delayed Sugar Bowl between Notre Dame and Georgia drew a viewership of 15.8 million.

On Saturday, the game between the Houston Texans and Kansas City Chiefs became ESPN’s most-watched NFL game ever with an average viewership of 32.7 million. The matchup scored the biggest Saturday afternoon kickoff audience in ten seasons since 2016, including all 4:30 p.m. ET kickoffs across all networks.

The Ohio State-Notre Dame saw Ohio State win their 9th national title, defeating Notre Dame 34-23. The game took place in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

The post Ohio State-Notre Dame College National Championship Game Scores 22.1 Million Viewers appeared first on TheWrap.

The media giant is accused of breach of contract after South Park Digital Studios made two special episodes available to Paramount and MTV and not WBD; “tortious interference” for causing SPDS to breach its agreement with WBD and “unjust enrichment” because it benefitted from streaming the specials that were outside the scope of the deal.

In a ruling on Tuesday, Justice Margaret A. Chan of Manhattan’s State Supreme Court advanced the case to the discovery stage and denied a motion for partial summary judgement to dismiss the unjust enrichment claim, which Paramount had argued is duplicative to the breach of contract and tortious interference claims.

The ruling moves the case to the discovery stage, clearing the way for a trial.

Warner Bros. Discovery claims that Paramount’s priorities “changed drastically” upon the launch of Paramount+ in 2021, resulting in a “multi-year scheme to unfairly take advantage” of the former conglomerate by breaching its agreement and “stealing its content.”

Per the 2019 agreement, where Warner/HBO outbid others in a highly competitive situation to garner the exclusive rights to the series, the company acquired the series’ entire catalog (23 seasons at the time) in addition to three new installments, totaling more than 300 episodes. Based on the representations made in the deal, WBD alleges that Paramount Global promised exclusivity in hosting all 333 episodes — the 303 existing at the time, in addition to the 30 that would be added across the three new seasons — and that sharing rights was a “non-starter.”

However, as a result of the pandemic, Paramount delayed filming on Season 24, instead producing two nearly hour-long COVID-themed specials that released initially on Comedy Central and were later put on HBO Max. Because of the specials’ longer runtime, WBD paid double the typical single-episode rate. The company says it did not receive Season 24 episodes despite the entry of a new deal in 2021 between the show’s creators and the Paramount subsidiary MTV worth $900 million to produce 14 original movies for Paramount+. At the time, the series was also renewed through Season 30.

Chan found that the “ambiguous contract” is “silent on vital details,” such as “how to decide what is in the Seasons 24-26 and whether plaintiff can pursue disgorgement against third parties who stream content before the plaintiff.”

“As such, the dispute is not properly addressed by the contract,” she wrote. “Given the ambiguity of the Term Sheet, parol evidence will likely be necessary to determine whether and how the Term Sheet applies — parol evidence that is unavailable at this early stage of litigation. Thus, summary judgment is denied as premature.”

Chan also said that the unjust enrichment and tortious interference claims in the case “share little overlap,” making it premature to determine whether the former claim is duplicative.

“Because there are still disputed facts regarding the scope of the parties’ relationships and the rights to the Specials, plaintiff is not required to elect between tortious interference and unjust enrichment at this stage,” Chan added. “After discovery, when the facts are no longer in dispute, plaintiff can choose a claim.”

In addition to the three existing claims, Paramount previously faced two additional claims of “breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing” and “violation of New York Business Law,” though those had been dropped in November.

The post ‘South Park’ Streaming Rights Battle Between Paramount and WBD Moves to Discovery Stage appeared first on TheWrap.

“Prime Target” stars Leo Woodall as a recent post-grad who stumbles into the knowledge that a prime numbers pattern has given him an astonishing amount of access to the world’s computers. This sparks a manhunt for him to destroy his work and re-hide the information.

Here is when “Prime Target” finally lands on the streamer and when to expect new episodes.

When does “Prime Target” Season 1 come out?

“Prime Target” Season 1 debuts on Wednesday, Jan. 22.

How can I watch “Prime Target” Season 1?

“Prime Target” streams new episodes weekly on Apple TV+.

Are episodes released weekly or all at once?

The first two episodes of “Prime Target” drop together on Apple TV+ with the remaining six of the season dropping weekly on Wednesdays. Here is the full rundown:

• Episode 1 – Jan. 22
• Episode 2 – Jan. 22
• Episode 3 – Jan. 29
• Episode 4 – Feb. 5
• Episode 5 – Feb. 12
• Episode 6 – Feb. 19
• Episode 7 – Feb. 26
• Episode 8 – March 5

What is “Prime Target” about?

“Prime Target” marries the world of math and espionage as a recent graduate fights to keep a discovery with – you guessed it – prime numbers unlocks an unprecedented amount of access to the world. Here’s the official synopsis:

“A post-graduate mathematics student discovers an effort being made to destroy his work in finding a pattern in prime numbers that would allow him to access every computer in the world.”

Who is in the “Prime Target” Season 1 cast?

“Prime Target” is led by Leo Woodall as the main character. He is joined by Quintessa Swindell, Sidse Babett Knudsen, Martha Plimpton, Stephen Rea and Harry Lloyd.

Watch the trailer:

The post ‘Prime Target’ Season 1 Release Guide: When Do New Episodes Air? appeared first on TheWrap.

Mike White’s anthology series has been renewed by HBO for a fourth season, the network announced Wednesday. The news comes less than a month before “The White Lotus” debuts its third season, which is set in Thailand.

The Season 4 renewal doesn’t come as surprise, after Max boss Casey Bloys told reporters in November 2024 that White has already shared ideas for a fourth season. “Mike, obviously — if he wants to move forward and do the four seasons — he will do the fourth season,” Bloys said at the time.

The first season of “The White Lotus” debuted in July 2021, and introduced several groups of vacationers and employees at the White Lotus resort in Maui. The Season 1 cast included Murray Bartlett, Connie Britton, Jennifer Coolidge, Alexandra Daddario, Natasha Rothwell and Sydney Sweeney, among others.

Coolidge was the Season 1 only star to return in Season 2, which took viewers to Sicily. Despite Coolidge’s character coming to a tragic ending at the end of Season 2, Rothwell was revealed to return for Season 3, which takes place in Thailand.

In addition to Rothwell, the Season 3 cast includes Leslie Bibb, Carrie Coon, Walton Goggins, Sarah Catherine Hook, Jason Isaacs, Lalisa Manoba, Michelle Monaghan, Sam Nivola, Lek Patravadi, Parker Posey, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Tayme Thapthimthong and Aimee Lou Wood.

Though little has been revealed about Season 4, it can be assumed that the next installment will follow a new group of vacationers at a new location of the White Lotus resort.

White serves as creator, writer and director of “The White Lotus,” and the show is executive produced by White, David Bernad and Mark Kamine.

The post ‘The White Lotus’ Renewed for Season 4 at HBO appeared first on TheWrap.

The new series, titled “FBI: CIA,” will air as a planted spinoff in an upcoming episode of “FBI,” paving the way for a potential series order, an individual with knowledge told TheWrap. If greenlit, the series would air during the 2025-26 broadcast season.

The official logline is as follows: “A dedicated, strait-laced FBI agent and a street-smart CIA agent are part of a new, clandestine taskforce charged with solving and preventing domestic terrorism in and around New York City.”

Casting is currently underway for three series regular roles for “FBI: CIA,” though no casting has been made official just yet, according to the individual.

The series is produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, and CBS Studios, with Dick Wolf serving as a writer and executive producer. David Hudgins, Nicole Perlman and David Chasteen also serve as writers and EPs for “FBI: CIA,” with Peter Jankowski also serving as an executive producer.

The network is also in the midst of developing a new spinoff for “The Neighborhood” centered on Marcel Spears’ Marty and Sheaun McKinney’s Malcolm, which would also be in consideration for the 2025-26 broadcast season, though it has not yet received an official greenlight. Like “FBI: CIA,” the new series will be a planted spinoff in “The Neighborhood’s” upcoming Season 7 finale. 

Meanwhile, the Kathy Bates-led “Matlock” has already been renewed for Season 2, but fellow new series “NCIS: Origins,” “Poppa’s House” and “Georgie & Mandy’s First Wedding” have yet to receive renewals. CBS is also gearing up to debut new series “Watson” starring Morris Chestnut.

The post ‘FBI’ Spinoff in the Works at CBS Focused on CIA appeared first on TheWrap.

While fans have one less episode than the season before, there are more cast members to fall in love with. It’s been a minute since Season 2 premiered in May 2023, but the crew is back and lots has changed, including Zari Hassan getting married and Quinton Masina and Kayleigh Schwark getting engaged.

Season 3 of “Young, Famous & African” premiered on Netflix Friday, Jan. 17; here’s the entire cast below.

Annie Macaulay-Idibia

Annie Macaulay-Idibia, one of the original cast members of “Young, Famous & African,” has returned for Season 3. However, this time she won’t be appearing with her husband Innocent Idibia (2Baba). Though she and her former friend Zari are still working through their issues, she does get an invitation to her wedding with Shakib.

Zari Hassan

Zari Hassan has moved on from her love triangle with the father of her child, Diamond Platnumz, and former flame, Andile Ncube. She’s found a more promising love with her fiancé Shakib Lutaaya, whom she is excited and ready to marry this season. Zari returns also as one of the original cast members of Young, Famous & African.”

Swanky Jerry

The stylish, and usually, fashionably late Swanky Jerry is bringing it all back for Season 3, and he’s got his looks with him as well. Swanky and his former bestie Annie are still feuding, and the tensions between grow thicker in Season 3. But he’s found friendship in Annie’s longtime foe, Zari.

Nadia Nakai

Coming off her “Gen Z South Africa” hosing gig, Nadia Nakai remains booked and busy still working on her music. She too is an original “Young, African & Famous” cast member, and while she used to be on good terms with Annie, the two distance themselves from one another as Nadia gets closer as friends with Zari.

Kefilwe Mabote

Joining the cast as a fresh face is fashion and lifestyle social media influencer Kefilwe Mabote. Her appearance on “Young, Famous & African” will be her reality series debut. In an interview with SNL 24, Mabote said the show will be opportunity to “expand my portfolio.”

Quinton Masina (Naked DJ)

Quinton Masina returns to Season 3 alongside his longtime girlfriend Kayleigh Schwark. This season, the musician and radio personality is is now taking steps to marry Kayleigh as the two are now engaged and living together.

Ini Edo

Joining the party for Season 3 of “Young, Famous & African” is longtime Nigerian actress Ini Edo. She’s stylish, classy and isn’t here for the shenanigans.

Shakib Lutaaya 

Also new to the show is Shakib Lutaaya, a businessman and part-time amateur boxer. Shakib is gearing up to marry Zari, but their journey to their nuptials won’t be without drama.

Fantana

Fantana returns for her sophomore season on “Young, Famous & African.” After entertaining the the attention of Diamond last season, the father of Zari’s children, she is surprised to be invited to Zari and Shakib’s wedding.

Kayleigh Schwark

Kayleigh Schwark is swinging wedding bells this season, as she’s now officially engaged to boyfriend Quinton. The two are now living together, and like the seasons before, the famous footballer is staying out of the drama, but she’ll always standby as a neutral party.

Luis Munana 

Luis Munana returns for a second season after landing as the hot commodity in Season 2. Last season, the group didn’t go so easy on Luis, which is why he’s still in an uneasy place with the cast. However, love could still be in the for him and Fontana.

Khanyi Mbau

The motherly/big sisterly figure in the group has returned and she’s still keeping everyone in check, but she’s providing a comforting shoulder to lean on for Nadia, who is grieving a loss.

Diamond Platnumz

The playboy himself, Diamond Platnumz, comes back for a third season. It appears that he’s moved past his love triangle with Zari, as she’s preparing to marry new boo Shakib. Unsurprisingly, he wasn’t invited to the wedding.

The post ‘Young, Famous & African’ Season 3 Cast Guide | Photos appeared first on TheWrap.

Additionally, Christopher Landon’s new Blumhouse thriller “Drop” and Mimi Cave’s “Holland” will also mark festival outings this year.

SXSW is happening from March 7–March 15 in Austin, Texas. See the full lineup below.

Opening Night TV Premiere

The 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival’s Opening Night TV Premiere is the eagerly anticipated Apple TV+ “The Studio,” starring Seth Rogen, who also serves as writer, director and executive producer alongside Emmy Award nominee Evan Goldberg. 

Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him. The series co-stars Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders and Kathryn Hahn and special guest appearances from A-list Hollywood luminaries feature in each episode.

“The same undeniable creative electricity in ‘The Studio’ runs through our 2025 program — you can feel a bit of magic happening in every film, series and immersive experience we’ve curated this year,” Claudette Godfrey, VP, Film & TV, said. “From groundbreaking independent films to unforgettable studio premieres and documentary revelations to genre-defying experiments, this lineup celebrates the fearless storytellers who make SXSW so unique. We love to discover and elevate filmmakers who make bold statements, push boundaries, spark important conversations and challenge our perspectives in ways we never expected. When our incredible SXSW community gathers in March to experience these stories, the energy and inspiration is going to be absolutely transformative.”

Screening Categories

Feature films in the SXSW 2025 lineup screen in the following categories: Headliner presented by Epidemic Sound; Narrative Feature Competition presented by Kickstarter; Documentary Feature Competition; Narrative Spotlight; Documentary Spotlight; Visions; Midnighter; Global presented by MUBI; 24 Beats Per Second; Festival Favorite, and Special Event. The TV program consists of TV Premiere, TV Spotlight, and the Independent TV Pilot Competition. The SXSW 2025 Shorts Film Program presented by Vimeo will present six competitive sections. XR Experience Competition, XR Spotlight and XR Special Event programming round out the Film & TV Festival program. All Categories will be eligible for section-specific Audience Awards.

HEADLINER Presented by Epidemic Sound

Big names, big talent featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.

The Accountant 2

Director: Gavin O’Connor, Producers: Ben Affleck, Lynette Howell Taylor, Mark Williams, Screenwriter: Bill Dubuque

Christian Wolff is brought out of hiding by Treasury Agent Marybeth Medina after someone close to them is killed by unknown assassins. To solve the murder, Wolff must recruit the help of his estranged but highly lethal brother Brax. Cast: Ben Affleck, Jon Bernthal, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Daniella Pineda, Allison Robertson, J.K. Simmons (World Premiere)

Ash

Director: Flying Lotus, Producers: Nate Bolotin, Matthew Metcalfe, Screenwriter: Jonni Remmler

A woman wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. Her investigation into what happened sets in motion a terrifying chain of events. Cast:Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Flying Lotus, Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Beulah Koale (World Premiere)

Death of a Unicorn

Director/Screenwriter: Alex Scharfman, Producers: Drew Houpt, Lucas Joaquin, Alex Scharfman, Lars Knudsen, Tyler Campellone, Tim Headington, Theresa Steele Page

A father and daughter accidentally hit and kill a unicorn while en route to a weekend retreat, where his billionaire boss seeks to exploit the creature’s miraculous curative properties. Cast: Paul Rudd, Jenna Ortega, Will Poulter, Téa Leoni, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Carrigan, Sunita Mani, Jessica Hynes (World Premiere)

Drop

Director: Christopher Landon, Producers: Jason Blum, Michael Bay, Brad Fuller, Cameron Fuller, Screenwriters: Jillian Jacobs, Chris Roach

A widowed mother, on her first date in years, arrives at an upscale restaurant where she meets her handsome date. But their chemistry curdles as she begins being irritated and then terrorized by a series of anonymous drops to her phone.

Cast: Meghann Fahy, Brandon Sklenar, Violett Beane, Jacob Robinson, Ed Weeks (World Premiere)

Holland

Director: Mimi Cave, Producer: Kate Churchill, Peter Dealbert, Nicole Kidman, Per Saari, Screenwriter: Andrew Sodroski

In this unpredictable thriller, Nancy is a teacher whose life with her husband in Holland, Michigan, tumbles into a twisted tale when she and her colleague become suspicious of a secret. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, Jude Hill, Gael García Bernal (World Premiere)

Thank you to our Headliner and Major Film & TV Sponsor Epidemic Sound: Unlock more magic in your production with world-class music, Hollywood-grade sound effects, and next-generation soundtracking tools. All rights included. Publish worry-free, worldwide. 

NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION Presented by Kickstarter

World premieres showcasing the art of storytelling by emerging voices.

Bunny

Director: Ben Jacobson, Producer: Sarah Sarandos, Screenwriters: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Stefan Marolachakis

Two best friends rally the neighbors in their tenement building to help them hide a dead body over the best/worst night of their lives. Cast: Mo Stark, Ben Jacobson, Liza Colby, Tony Drazan, Lina Rong Mei Chen, Genevieve Hudson-Price, Liz Caribel Sierra, Ajay Naidu, Richard Price, Henry Czerny (World Premiere)

Fantasy Life

Director/Screenwriter: Matthew Shear, Producers: Charlie Alderman, Chris Dodds, Philip Keefe, Amanda Peet, Emily McCann Lesser, David Bernon, Sam Slater

After getting laid off, a thirty-something paralegal in New York starts babysitting his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters and falls for their mother, an actress in a rocky marriage. Cast: Amanda Peet, Matthew Shear, Alessandro Nivola, Judd Hirsch, Bob Balaban, Andrea Martin, Zosia Mamet, Jessica Harper, Holland Taylor, Sheng Wang (World Premiere)

Fucktoys

Director/Screenwriter: Annapurna Sriram, Producer: Timothy Petryni

Join AP on a bubblegum grindhouse adventure through sunny and romantic Trashtown, USA. In this raucous odyssey a wanton minx quests hard across a dreamy landscape of smut, filth and psychics, hustling to lift a curse that has been f*cking her sh*t up. Cast: Annapurna Sriram, Sadie Scott, Francois Arnaud, Damian Young, Big Freedia, Brandon Flynn, Lorrie Odom, Jowin Batoon, Tamika Lawrence, Arianna Ortiz (World Premiere)

It Ends

Director/Screenwriter: Alexander Ullom, Producers: Carrie Carusone, Evan Barber

Four friends’ post-college plans are derailed when a wrong turn traps them on a never-ending backroad. Cast: Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, Mitchell Cole (World Premiere)

My Uncle Jens (Norway)

Director/Screenwriter: Brwa Vahabpour, Producers: Renée Hansen Mlodyszewski, Anda Ionescu

A young literature teacher lives a peaceful life in Oslo until his estranged uncle from the Iranian part of Kurdistan unexpectedly arrives for a visit. Cast: Peiman Azizpour, Hamza Agoshi, Sarah Francesca Brænne, Magnus Lysbakken, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Emir Hakki, Marko Lazic, Mohamed Chakiri (World Premiere)

Outerlands

Director/Screenwriter: Elena Oxman, Producers: Marc Smolowitz, Elena Oxman, Asia Kate Dillon, Allison Estrin, Henry Russell Bergstein

When Cass (they/them) is asked by an alluring woman to watch her 11-year-old daughter while she goes out of town, Cass is forced to confront the truth of their own tumultuous childhood. Cast: Asia Kate Dillon, Louisa Krause, Ridley Asha Bateman, Lea DeLaria, Daniel K. Isaac, Melinda Meeng, Allie Heng, Winter Dewitt, Safia Fredericks, Sedrick Cabrera (World Premiere)

Reeling

Director: Yana Alliata, Producer: Jack Forbes, Screenwriters: Yana Alliata, Amy Miner

A psychological drama set against a backdrop of celebration at a family’s Hawaiian estate, three siblings confront heartbreaking, inescapable truths after an accident that changed their lives forever. Cast: Ryan Wuestewald, Hans Christopher, Nikki DeParis, Fabrizio Alliata, Makena Miller, Nyah Juliano, Michael Carter (World Premiere)

Slanted

Director/Screenwriter: Amy Wang, Producers: Amy Wang, Mark Ankner, Trevor Wall

Desperate to fit in, an insecure Chinese American teenager undergoes experimental trans-racial surgery to become White in order to secure her chances of winning Prom Queen and the acceptance of her peers. Cast: Shirley Chen, McKenna Grace, Vivian Wu, Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Amelie Zilber, Fang Du, Elaine Hendrix, Keith Harris (World Premiere)

Thank you to our sponsor Kickstarter, the funding and launch platform for independent creators and innovators, for supporting the Narrative Feature Competition Film Screening section.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE COMPETITION

World premieres of captivating, real stories by emerging voices.

Arrest the Midwife

Director: Elaine Epstein, Producers: Elaine Epstein, Robin Hessman

The arrest of midwives in a rural healthcare desert ignites an unexpected rebellion: Amish and Mennonite women who break from tradition, and emerge as fierce political activists fighting for reproductive justice and birthing rights. (World Premiere)

Assembly

Directors/Producers/Screenwriters: Rashaad Newsome, Johnny Symons

Visionary artist Rashaad Newsome merges art, AI, and performance to transform a former military facility into a Black queer utopia. Through immersive storytelling and visuals, the film explores how creativity can heal, unite, and spark liberation. (World Premiere)

Baby Doe

Director: Jessica Earnshaw, Producers: Holly Meehl Chapman, Jessica Earnshaw 

At 22, Gail gave birth alone and left her newborn in the woods. Decades later, she’s arrested for murder, despite claiming the baby was stillborn. Baby Doe explores the fallout when young women cannot accept the reality of an unplanned pregnancy. (World Premiere)

The Python Hunt

Director: Xander Robin, Producers: Lance Oppenheim, Lauren Cioffi, Mel Oppenheim, Xander Robin

Every year, the Florida government asks the general public to compete in an invasive python removal contest in the Everglades. For ten nights, an eclectic group of hunters confront the dangerous terrain, nocturnal creatures and their own tiny demons. (World Premiere)

Remaining Native

Director: Paige Bethmann, Producers: Jessica Epstein, Paige Bethmann, Judd Ehrlich

Ku Stevens, a 17-year-old Native American runner, struggles to navigate his dream of becoming a collegiate athlete as the memory of his great grandfather’s escape from an Indian boarding school begins to connect past, present, and future. (World Premiere)

The Secret of Me (United Kingdom)

Director: Grace Hughes-Hallett

19-year-old Kristi discovers a secret her doctor and parents have kept from her all her life. Her search for truth uncovers a radical psychology experiment on a pair of identical twins that led to a global medical scandal. (World Premiere)

Shuffle

Director: Benjamin Flaherty, Producers: Carra Greenberg, Harris Fishman, Benjamin Flaherty, Scott Paskoff

Through the lens of his own recovery, a filmmaker offers an intimate look inside the billion dollar addiction treatment industry where young people are bought and sold for their insurance policies and ushered into a system designed to keep them sick. (World Premiere)

The Spies Among Us

Directors/Producers: Jamie Coughlin Silverman, Gabriel Silverman

Thirty years after the Cold War ends, a former political prisoner of the East German secret police searches for the truth after learning his brother spied on him for the regime, and discovers the lasting effects of living in a surveillance state. (World Premiere)

NARRATIVE SPOTLIGHT

Unforgettable features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.

American Sweatshop (Germany)

Director: Uta Briesewitz, Producers: Anita Elsani, Uta Briesewitz, Jason Sosnoff, Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Screenwriter: Matthew Nemeth

Daisy, a young woman who works what has been called “the worst job in the world” – purging overtly hateful, sexual, and violent content from social media – and ends up fundamentally changed by her encounters with the darkest corners of the internet. Cast: Lili Reinhart, Daniela Melchior, Jeremy Ang Jones, Josh Whitehouse, Tim Plester, Christiane Paul, Joel Fry (World Premiere)

The Astronaut

Director/Screenwriter: Jess Varley, Producers: Brad Fuller, Eric B. Fleischman, Chris Abernathy, Cameron Fuller

An astronaut believes something extraterrestrial has followed her back to Earth. Cast: Kate Mara, Laurence Fishburne, Gabriel Luna, Ivana Milicevic, Macy Gray (World Premiere)

The Baltimorons

Director: Jay Duplass, Producers: David Bonnett Jr., Michael Strassner, Drew Langer, Screenwriters: Jay Duplass, Michael Strassner

After cracking a tooth on Christmas Eve, newly sober Cliff embarks on an adventure through Baltimore with Didi, his emergency dentist. Cast: Michael Strassner, Liz Larson, Olivia Luccardi (World Premiere)

Caper

Director/Screenwriter: Dean Imperial, Producers: Tessa Borbridge, Dean Imperial, TJ Sansone, Andy Zolot

When a sext to the wrong number sends a group of clueless men into a panic, they recklessly dive into an all-night journey through NYC to save their friend, revealing their own misguided and toxic views on women along the way. Cast: Christopher Tramantana, Asa James, Celester Rich, Richard Cooper, Sam Gilroy, Ron Palais, Michael Panes, Anne Klaus, Kevin Kane, Caroline Angelica Winkler (World Premiere)

Clown in a Cornfield

Director: Eli Craig, Producers: Marty Bowen, John Fischer, Wyck Godfrey, Screenwriters: Carter Blanchard, Adam Cesare, Eli Craig

A fading midwestern town in which Frendo the clown, a symbol of bygone success, reemerges as a terrifying scourge. Cast: Katie Douglas, Will Sasso, Cassandra Potenza, Aaron Abrams, Carson MacCormac, Verity Marks, Dylan McEwan, Daina Leitold, Vincent Muller, Kaitlyn Bacon (World Premiere)

Cotton Candy Bubble Gum

Director/Screenwriter: J Pinder, Producer: Cole Dabney

After his mom gets engaged to a vindictive cop, Carter, a 21-year-old mama’s boy still living at home, must secure a paid promotion at his internship by the end of the day or find a new place to live in this modern coming-of-age comedy. Cast: Nick Darnell, Morgan Jay, R. Marcus Taylor, JadaPaige, Jack Stone, Ben Scattone, Mildred Marie Langford, Rodney J. Hobbs, Jecobi Swain, Sophia Renee Sherman (World Premiere)

The Dutchman

Director: Andre Gaines, Producers: Andre Gaines, Jonathan T. Baker, Screenwriters: Andre Gaines, Qasim Basir

A successful black businessman, haunted by his crumbling marriage and identity crisis, is drawn into a psychological game of cat and mouse with a mysterious white woman he encounters on a New York subway. Cast: André Holland, Kate Mara, Zazie Beetz, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks (World Premiere)

For Worse

Director/Screenwriter: Amy Landecker, Producers: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Valerie Stadler, Jenica Bergere, James Portolese

Fresh off a messy divorce, a 50-year-old sober mom tries to rebuild her life and stumbles into a new beginning after finding herself at a Gen Z wedding behaving like a 25-year-old drunk bridesmaid. Cast: Amy Landecker, Bradley Whitford, Nico Hiraga, Gaby Hoffmann, Ken Marino, Missi Pyle, Kiersey Clemons, Claudia Sulewski, Simon Helberg, Liv Hewson (World Premiere)

Forge

Director/Screenwriter: Jing Ai Ng, Producers: Liz Daering-Glass, Gabrielle Cordero, Jing Ai Ng, Damian Bao

In Miami, siblings Raymond and Coco Zhang’s art forgery ring flourishes when they encounter a disgraced millionaire in need of their expertise. Meanwhile, FBI Art Crimes agent Emily Lee moves to Miami to investigate a series of mysterious paintings. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Andie Ju, Brandon Soo Hoo, Edmund Donovan, Eva De Dominici, T. R. Knight, Jack Falahee, Sonya Walger (World Premiere)

I Really Love My Husband

Director/Screenwriter: GG Hawkins, Producer: Elle Roth-Brunet

When a woman grows disillusioned with her golden-boy husband during their tropical honeymoon, she recruits an enigmatic expat to spice things up—for better or worse. Cast: Madison Lanesey, Travis Quentin Young, Arta Gee, Lisa Jacqueline Starrett, Elizabeth de Robbins, Armodio Sophia, Meggan Taylor, Mitch Bisschop, Amberlin Morse (World Premiere)

Lifehack (Cyprus)

Director: Ronan Corrigan, Producers: Joann Kushner, Timur Bekmambetov, Screenwriters: Ronan Corrigan, Hope Elliot Kemp

Four teenage slackers attempt to pull off a multi million dollar Bitcoin heist from the comfort of their bedrooms but when their chickens come home to roost they find there is no comfy bed to fall back on! Cast: Georgie Farmer, Yasmin Finney, Roman Hyack Green, James Scholz, Jessica Reynolds, Charlie Creed Miles (World Premiere)

Mermaid

Director/Screenwriter: Tyler Cornack, Producers: Daniel Brandt, Dane Eckerle, Cole Eckerle

A Percocet-addicted ‘Florida Man’ finds a wounded mermaid at his lowest point. Fascination becomes a drug infused, one sided relationship — sending him further into decline. When word spreads about his secret, he’ll stop at nothing to protect her. Cast: Johnny Pemberton, Avery Potemri, Kevin Nealon, Kirk Fox, Tom Arnold, Robert Patrick, Kevin Dunn, Devyn McDowell, Tyler Rice, Julia Valentine Larson (World Premiere)

O’Dessa

Director/Screenwriter: Geremy Jasper, Producers: Michael Gottwald, Noah Stahl, Rodrigo Teixeira

Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa is a rock opera about a farm girl on a quest to recover a family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a dangerous city, where she must use the power of destiny and song to save her true love’s soul. Cast: Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Murray Bartlett, Regina Hall, Kelly Macdonald, Pokey LaFarge (World Premiere)

$POSITIONS

Director/Screenwriter: Brandon Daley, Producers: Ben Gojer, Jake Bloom

Blue-collar Midwesterner Mike Alvarado attempts to save his family from the throes of poverty by investing their savings into speculative cryptocurrencies. A twitchy, hyper-contemporary comedy with equal doses of laughs and panic attacks. Cast: Mike Kunicki, Vinny Kress, Trevor Dawkins, Kaylyn Carter (World Premiere)

She’s The He

Director/Screenwriter: Siobhan McCarthy, Producers: Halley Albert, Vic Brandt

Just before graduation, Alex and Ethan pretend to be trans women to get into the girl’s lockers. It’s all a joke until Ethan realizes: she really is trans. Alex and Ethan must reckon with their changing friendship and the process of coming out. Cast: Misha Osherovich, Nico Carney, Suzanne Cryer, Mark Indelicato, Malia Pyles, Emmett Preciado, Tatiana Ringsby, Aparna Nancherla, Kyle Butenhoff, Emma Orr  (World Premiere)

Surviving Earth (United Kingdom)

Director/Screenwriter: Thea Gajić, Producers: Aleksandra Bilić, Sophie Reynolds

Having fled the Yugoslav war and settled in the UK, Vlad strives for success with his Balkan band, whilst trying to reconnect with his only daughter. Cast: Slavko Sobin, Olive Gray, Stuart Martin, Peter Coonan, Toni Gojanović, Ann Ogbomo (World Premiere)

The Threesome

Director: Chad Hartigan, Producers: Tim White, Trevor White, Vince Jolivette, Steve Shapiro, Screenwriter: Ethan Ogilby

A young man’s crush leads him into an unexpected threesome… What’s the worst that could happen? Cast: Zoey Deutch, Jonah Hauer-King, Ruby Cruz, Jaboukie Young-White, Josh Segarra, Robert Longstreet, Arden Myrin, Kristin Slaysman, Allan McLeod, Julia Sweeney (World Premiere)

The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick

Director: Pete Ohs, Producers: Callie Hernandez, Pete Ohs, Jeremy O. Harris, Josh Godfrey, Screenwriters: Callie Hernandez, Zoë Chao, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris, Pete Ohs

A woman in crisis seeks refuge in her friend’s idyllic countryside home only to suffer strange side effects from a mysterious tick bite. Cast: Zoë Chao, Callie Hernandez, James Cusati-Moyer, Jeremy O. Harris (World Premiere)

We Bury The Dead (Australia)

Director/Screenwriter: Zak Hilditch, Producers: Kelvin Munro, Grant Sputore, Ross Dinerstein, Joshua Harris, Mark Fasano

In the aftermath of a catastrophic military experiment, a desperate woman joins a “body retrieval unit” in the hope of finding her husband alive, but her search takes a chilling turn when the corpses start showing signs of life. Cast: Daisy Ridley, Brenton Thwaites, Mark Coles Smith (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SPOTLIGHT

Incredible features receiving their World, North American, or U.S. premieres.

The Age of Disclosure

Director/Producer: Dan Farah

An unprecedented film –featuring 34 senior members of the U.S. Senate, House, military and intelligence community– revealing a cover-up of the existence of non-human intelligent life and a secret war to reverse engineer technology of non-human origin. (World Premiere) 

Are We Good?

Director: Steven Feinartz, Producers: Steven Feinartz, Julie Seabaugh, Ethan Goldman

An intimate portrait of comedian and podcast pioneer Marc Maron, following the sudden loss of his partner and filmmaker Lynn Shelton. Maron struggles with grief, disillusionment, and a shifting comedy landscape. (World Premiere)

ASCO: Without Permission

Director/Screenwriter: Travis Gutiérrez Senger, Producers: Andrew Renzi, Nick Boak, Kyzza Terrazas, Santiago Maza, Sabrina Coulston, Colin Cadarette, Travis Gutiérrez Senger

ASCO: Without Permission profiles the extraordinary, LA based, Chicano art group ASCO, and through a genre-defying approach, reimagines what is possible today in art and cinema while celebrating an iconoclastic group that was far ahead of its time. Featuring Zoe Saldaña, Michael Peña, Arturo Castro (World Premiere)

Creede U.S.A.

Director: Kahane Corn Cooperman, Producers: Innbo Shim, Kahane Corn Cooperman

In tiny Creede, CO, conservative mining families and progressive theater people have been trying to negotiate their differences for 60 years. When the same issues polarizing America ripple through the town, can it maintain its fragile coexistence? (World Premiere)

Dear Tomorrow (Denmark, Japan, Sweden)

Director/Screenwriter: Kaspar Astrup Schröder, Producers: Maria Helga Stürup, Katrine A. Sahlstrøm

In Japan, where loneliness has become a national crisis, the film follows three individuals battling isolation. Through a volunteer chat service, compassionate connections, and government initiatives, they find hope and paths to reclaim their lives. (World Premiere)

Deeper (Australia)

Director: Jennifer Peedom

In the deepest, darkest cold-water cave system in the world, a reluctant hero explores a dangerous obsession. (World Premiere)

Deepfaking Sam Altman

Director: Adam Bhala Lough, Producers: Kevin Hart, Luke Kelly-Clyne, Brian Smiley, Harold Berón III, Adam Bhala Lough, Dana J. Olkkonen, Scoop Wasserstein, Elizabeth Weil, Mark W. Olsen

Hartbeat partners with Vox Media Studios and Telemarketers’ Adam Bhala Lough for a comedic documentary about AI. Follow Adam as he seeks answers about the buzzy new tech and explores what it means to be human in an increasingly AI generated world. (World Premiere)

Flight 149: Hostage Of War (United Kingdom)

Director: Jenny Ash, Producers: Andy Holland, Helen McClure, Mowaffaq Safadi, Lucy Towers

When Flight 149 landed in the middle of a warzone, the passengers and crew became human shields for Saddam Hussein. Thirty years later, the hostages are launching a legal case to discover the truth about why the plane landed in the first place. (World Premiere)

Make It Look Real (Australia)

Director/Screenwriter: Kate Blackmore, Producers: Bethany Bruce, Daniel Joyce

Intimacy coordinator Claire Warden guides actors through sex scenes for a new film Tightrope, negotiating the vision of a director, the physical and psychological needs of the actors, and a documentary crew filming her every move. (International Premiere)

Mola: A Tale of Tibetan Love and Loss (U.S., Switzerland)

Directors/Screenwriters: Yangzom Brauen, Martin Brauen, Producer: Katherine LeBlond

Mola, a 100-year-old nun, wants to return to her homeland, Tibet, to die. The fulfillment of her dream takes an unexpected turn. (North American Premiere)

Now! More! Yes!

Director: Max Hey, Producers: Chris James Thompson, Frankie Latina, Andrew Swant

A legally blind used car salesman wakes up to realize that he drunkenly purchased an ambulance without keys using his boss’s money. (World Premiere)

Other Side

Directors: Heather Hogan, Carter Oakley, Producer: Amy Brown

Activist Lynda Bluestein contemplates how to legally end her life – her landmark lawsuit made Medical Aid in Dying in Vermont accessible to anyone in the United States. This is an intimate portrait of finding a way to die peacefully in the U.S. (World Premiere)

Seen and Heard

Directors: Giselle Bailey, Phil Bertelsen, Producers: Giselle Bailey, Phil Bertelsen, Issa Rae, Montrel McKay, John Maggio, Rachel Dretzin, John Ealer, Jonathan Berry, Dave Becky, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Sara Rodriguez

From executive producer Issa Rae, Seen and Heard is a two-part documentary that travels

through time, creating a kaleidoscopic portrait of Black talent being “seen,” to Black creatives

being “heard,” shaping today’s Golden Age of Black television. Featuring Issa Rae, Oprah

Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Shonda Rhimes, Ava Duvernay, Lena Waithe, Cord Jefferson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Swizz Beatz, Norman Lear (World Premiere)

Snow Leopard Sisters (United Kingdom)

Directors: Ben Ayers, Sonam Choekyi Lama, Andrew Lynch, Producers: Ian Davies, Joanna Natasegara, Torquil Jones, Tshiring Lhamu Lama 

In Nepal’s remote Dolpo region, two Indigenous women form an unlikely friendship to save one of the planet’s most mysterious and vulnerable wild cats: the snow leopard. (World Premiere)

Spreadsheet Champions (Australia)

Director: Kristina Kraskov, Producers: Anna Charalambous, Charlotte Wheaton, Nick Batzias

Students from around the world give it their all in the greatest competition you’ve never heard of, the Spreadsheet World Championships. (World Premiere) 

Starman

Director/Screenwriter: Robert Stone, Producers: Ray Rothrock, Keith Haviland, Robert Stone Legendary NASA robotics engineer and best-selling science fiction author, Gentry Lee, has spent a lifetime seeking an answer to the ultimate cosmic question: Are we alone in the universe? At age 82 he has come to a revelatory conclusion. (World Premiere)

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror

Director: Linus O’Brien, Producers: Adam Gibbs, Garret Price, Avner Shiloah, Linus O’Brien, Screenwriter: Avner Shiloah

A wild journey into the origins of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, the biggest cult film of all time, its impact on popular culture and socio-political resonance to this day. Featuring Richard O’Brien, Tim Curry, Lou Adler, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick (World Premiere)

Take No Prisoners

Directors: Adam Ciralsky, Subrata De, Producers: Adam Ciralsky, Gene Klein, Subrata De

Take No Prisoners delves into the secretive, high-stakes world of hostage rescues, following America’s top envoy as he races to free a young attorney held as a political pawn by a rogue regime. (World Premiere)

The Tallest Dwarf 

Director: Julie Forrest Wyman, Producers: Lindsey Dryden, Shaleece Haas, Jonna McKone

When Julie embarks on a journey to understand her own body and the rumors of dwarfism in her family, her path collides with a new drug that promises to make little people taller, threatening the community’s existence. (World Premiere)

Uvalde Mom

Director: Anayansi Prado, Producers: Ina Fichman, David Goldblum, Screenwriters: Anayansi Prado, Pablo Proenza

When a school mass shooting rocks a small Texas town, a mom desperate to save her kids becomes an overnight hero. She speaks out against a faulty system. The community unites to challenge the powers that neglected its most vulnerable—its children. (World Premiere)

MIDNIGHTER

Exciting after-dark features for genre lovers and the terminally curious.

Descendent

Director/Screenwriter: Peter Cilella, Producers: David Lawson Jr, Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead, Caleb Ward

After a traumatic brain injury triggers terrifying visions of extraterrestrials and a newfound talent for drawing, a father-to-be begins to question his reality and becomes obsessed with the need to protect his family from an unseen threat. Cast: Ross Marquand, Sarah Bolger, Susan Wilder, Charlene Amoia, Dan O’Brien, Brandon Scott, Alexandra Barreto, Alex Ruiz, Clare Cooney, Emily Pendergast (World Premiere)

Good Boy

Director: Ben Leonberg, Producers: Kari Fischer, Ben Leonberg, Screenwriters: Alex Cannon, Ben Leonberg

Do you ever wonder why your dog stares at empty corners, barks for no reason, or refuses to go into the basement? Good Boy is the story of a dog who sees everything that goes bump in the night. No talking pets, just terrifying scares. Cast: Indy, Shane Jensen, Larry Fessenden, Arielle Friedman, Stuart Rudin, Anya Krawcheck, Max (World Premiere)

Hallow Road (Czechia, Ireland, United Kingdom)

Director: Babak Anvari, Producers: Lucan Toh, Ian Henry, Richard Bolger, Screenwriter: William Gillies

Two parents enter a race against time when they receive a distressing late-night phone call from their daughter after she caused a tragic car accident. Cast: Rosamund Pike, Matthew Rhys, Megan McDonnell (World Premiere)

The Home (Estonia, Iceland, Sweden)

Director: Mattias J Skoglund, Producer: Siri Hjorton Wagner, Screenwriter: Mattias J Skoglund, Mats Strandberg

Joel reluctantly returns to his childhood town to help his mother Monika move into a home for people with dementia after she suffers a stroke. She is unrecognizable and Joel becomes convinced that something has followed her back from the other side. Cast: Philip Oros, Anki Lidén, Gizem Erdogan, Malin Levanon, Peter Jankert, Lottie Ejenbrant, Ayan Ahmed, Bengt CW Carlsson (World Premiere)

New Jack Fury

Director/Screenwriter: Lanfia Wal, Producers: Van White, Mariah Morgenstern, Denaun Porter, Lanfia Wal, Akino Childrey

After his girlfriend is kidnapped by a ruthless kingpin, a former cop must seek the help of two unlawful R&B eccentrics to help save her. Cast: Andre Hall, Page Kennedy, Dean “Michael Trapson” Morrow, Paul Wheeler, Ally Renee, Shawn Nathan, Wrekless Watson, Ace Vane, James Markham Hall, Jr., Vincent M. Ward (World Premiere)

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie (Canada)

Director: Matt Johnson, Producers: Matthew Miller, Matt Greyson, Screenwriters: Matt Johnson, Jay McCarrol

Matt and Jay try to get a show at the Rivoli. Cast: Jay McCarrol, Matt Johnson (World Premiere)

Redux Redux

Directors/Screenwriters: Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus, Producers: Michael J. McGarry, Kevin McManus, Matthew McManus, Nate Cormier, PJ McCabe

In an attempt to avenge her daughter’s death, Irene Kelly travels through parallel universes, killing her daughter’s murderer over and over again. She grows addicted to the revenge streak, putting her own humanity in jeopardy. Cast: Michaela McManus, Stella Marcus, Jeremy Holm, Jim Cummings, Grace Van Dien, Taylor Misiak, Dendrie Taylor (World Premiere)

The Surrender

Director/Screenwriter: Julia Max, Producers: Mia Chang, Lovell Holder, Julia Max, Ian McDonald, Robert J. Ulrich

When the family patriarch dies, a grieving mother and daughter risk their lives to perform a brutal resurrection ritual that will bring him back from the dead. Cast: Colby Minifie, Kate Burton, Neil Sandilands, Vaughn Armstrong, Mia Ellis, Pete Ploszek, Chelsea Alden, Alaina Pollack, Riley Rose Critchlow, Lola Prince Kelly (World Premiere)

VISIONS

Audacious, risk-taking artists who demonstrate innovation and creativity.

Dead Lover (Canada)

Director: Grace Glowicki, Producers: Yona Strauss, Ben Petrie, Grace Glowicki, Screenwriters: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie

A lonely Gravedigger who stinks of corpses finally meets her dream man, but their affair is cut short when he tragically drowns at sea. Grief-stricken, she goes to morbid lengths to resurrect him, resulting in grave consequences and unlikely love. Cast: Grace Glowicki, Ben Petrie, Leah Doz, Lowen Morrow (Texas Premiere)

Ghost Boy

Director: Rodney Ascher, Producers: Elika Portnoy, Ryan Bartecki, Gary Levinsohn, Billy Hines

Martin Pistorius slipped into a coma at the age of 12. Three years later he woke up but was unable to communicate and no-one realized he was fully aware. This is the true story of his remarkable journey back to life. (World Premiere)

The Infinite Husk
Director/Screenwriter: Aaron Silverstein, Producers: Aaron Silverstein, Mitchel McKenzie, Christine Sohail

An alien consciousness, sent to Earth to spy on one of its own kind, learns what it means to be human. Cast: Peace Ikediuba, Foreste Jean Feely, Circus-Szalewski, Michael Jon Murphy, Geena Alexandra, Gary Lee Reed, William Thomas Jones, Smaran Harihar, Jyl Haruye Kaneshiro (World Premiere)

Night Fight

Director: Khary Saeed Jones, Producers: Khary Saeed Jones, Kendra T. Field

It’s been seven years since I was followed by a vigilante down back roads in rural Canada.  Night Fight explores the secret life spawned by the encounter and the impossible task of sharing this experience with my young son. (World Premiere)

Odyssey (United Kingdom)

Director: Gerard Johnson, Producers: John Jencks, Isabel Freer, Matthew James Wilkinson, Patrick Tolan, Screenwriters: Gerard Johnson, Austin Collings

Natasha Flynn is an estate agent on a mission—and she’s going to make a killing. Cast: Polly Maberly, Mikael Persbrandt, Jasmine Blackborow, Guy Burnet, Ryan Hayes, Charley Palmer Rothwell, Kellie Shirley (World Premiere)

We Are Storror

Director: Michael Bay, Producers: Michael Bay, Angus Wall, Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis, Terry Dougas

A thrilling, emotional parkour odyssey chronicling the 7 childhood friends who escalated and came to define this extreme sport; The dizzying rise, tragic setbacks and inseparable brotherhood captured firsthand while in pursuit of the ultimate stunt. (World Premiere)

Your Higher Self (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Annie St-Pierre, Producer: Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre

Part sympathetic portrait and part exposé of the absurd, Your Higher Self dives into the world of life coaching – a modern phenomenon in full swing – embodying the quest of our individualistic society: to be oneself, only better. (International Premiere)

24 BEATS PER SECOND

Vibrant films showcasing the sounds, culture and influence of music and musicians.

42nd Street (Dominican Republic)

Director/Producer: José María Cabral, Screenwriters: José María Cabral, Miguel Yarul

A sensory dive into the lives of dancers and artists hungry for fame, clashing with police tactics and unorthodox views. 42nd Street unveils a defiant counter-culture in the Dominican urban scene—all unfolding on a bold, unrelenting 600-meter 42nd street. Featuring Demetal, Natasha Dancer, Maco Boba, Ricardo La Música (World Premiere)

Boxcutter (Canada)

Director: Reza Dahya, Producers: Soko Negash, Reza Dahya, Screenwriter: Chris Cromie

After his laptop is stolen, an aspiring rapper goes on a quest across the gentrifying streets of Toronto to recover his music in time for the event that could change his life – a meeting with a Grammy Award winning producer. Cast: Ashton James, Zoe Lewis, Viphusan Vani (International Premiere)

Brother Verses Brother

Director: Ari Gold, Producers: Michelle Stratton, Starr Sutherland, Screenwriters: Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, Lara Louise, Brian Bell, Herbert Gold, Tongo Eisen-Martin, John Flanigan

A radically personal one-shot musical odyssey about combative twin musicians hunting the streets of San Francisco for their dying poet father. Cast: Ari Gold, Ethan Gold, Lara Louise, Brian Bell, Herbert Gold, Tongo Eisen-Martin, John Flanigan (World Premiere)

Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt

Director/Screenwriter: Tom J Stern, Producers: Derrick Rossi, Neil Fellah

Five years in the making, this is the definitive documentary about Austin music legends The Butthole Surfers. Featuring Gibby Haynes, Paul Leary, King Coffee, Teresa Taylor, Richard Linklater, Flea, Dave Grohl, Henry Rollins, Ice T (World Premiere)

Forever We Are Young

Directors: Grace Lee, Patty Ahn, Producers: Eurie Chung, Nora Chute

Forever We Are Young delves into the heart, soul, and surprising evolution of one of the most passionate and complex global fandoms in pop music history: BTS ARMY. (World Premiere)

La Salsa Vive (Colombia)

Director/Screenwriter: Juan Carvajal, Producers: Diego Ramirez, Kevin Lopez, Juan Carvajal

La Salsa Vive is a vibrant cinematic exploration of Afro-Cuban music’s history, tracing its roots from New York’s lively streets to Cali, Colombia, now the global salsa capital. Featuring Rubén Blades, Henry Fiol, Willie Rosario, Angel Lebron, Johnny Rodriguez, Luis Eduardo Mulato, Samuel Formell, Francia Elena, Yuleissy Montano, Kevin Santiago Quiñones (World Premiere)

The Makings of Curtis Mayfield

Director: H.E.R., Producers: Peter Afterman, Mari Keiko Gonzalez, Sarah Haber

The Makings of Curtis Mayfield, directed by and featuring Grammy Award winning musical artist and actor, H.E.R., explores the legacy and deep musical and cultural influence of singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and entrepreneur Curtis Mayfield. Featuring Curtis Mayfield, H.E.R., Dr. Dre, Mary J Blige, John Legend, Lena Waithe, Stephen Marley, Maxwell, Tom Morello, Ernie Isley (World Premiere)

Selena y Los Dinos

Director: Isabel Castro, Producers: Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, J. Daniel Torres, David Blackman, Simran A. Singh

Selena y Los Dinos explores the life and legacy of Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano music. Through archival footage and interviews, the film highlights her rise to stardom and her family’s commitment to preserving her enduring impact. (Texas Premiere)

GLOBAL Presented by MUBI

Artful international films, featuring premieres, festival favorites, and more.

Corina (Mexico)

Director: Urzula Barba Hopfner, Producers: Carlos Hernández, Iván López- Barba, Urzula Barba, Screenwriters: Urzula Barba, Samuel Sosa

Corina suffers from agoraphobia due to a traumatic event from her childhood. Everything will have to change if she wants to save her job. Cast: Naian González Norvind, Cristo Fernández, Carolina Politi, Mariana Gimenez, Laura de Ita, Gerardo Trejoluna (North American Premiere)

Fury (Spain)

Director: Gemma Blasco, Producer: Mireia Graell Vivancos, Screenwriters: Gemma Blasco, Eva Pauné

After being raped on New Year’s Eve, Alex seeks refuge in her brother. But consumed by rage, he follows an increasingly dark path. His reaction pushes them apart, and she channels her pain through theater, embodying the vengeful character of Medea. Cast: Ángela Cervantes, Àlex Monner, Carla Linares, Eli Iranzo, Salim Daprincee, Pau Escobar, Victoria Rivero (World Premiere)

Glorious Summer (Poland)

Directors/Screenwriters: Helena Ganjalyan, Bartosz Szpak, Producers: Maria Gołoś, Monika Matuszewska

A sun-drenched renaissance palace. Three women remain in a carefree state of limbo, tended to by an unseen, all-providing system. But as cracks in the paradise begin to appear, they are faced with a choice: escape or remain in the perfect illusion? Cast: Magdalena Fejdasz, Helena Ganjalyan, Daniela Komędera, Weronika Humaj (World Premiere)

Real Faces (Belgium)

Director: Leni Huyghe, Producer: Elisa Heene, Screenwriters: Leni Huyghe, Vincent Vanneste

Julia, an ambitious casting agent, relocates to Brussels. Struggling to build a new life, she masks her insecurities behind a façade of success. She meets microbiologist Eliott and forms an authentic friendship that inspires her to break free. Cast: Leonie Buysse, Gorges Ocloo, Joely Mbundu, Yoann Blanc, Karlijn Sileghem (World Premiere)

Trans Memoria (Sweden)

Director/Screenwriter: Victoria Verseau, Producers: Malin Hüber, Mathilde Raczymow

In an exploration of self-discovery, Victoria, Athena and Aamina navigate womanhood through loss and introspection, weaving past regrets and future aspirations in a poetic documentation of embracing true selves. (U.S. Premiere)

Thank you to our sponsor, MUBI: the global streaming service, production company and film distributor dedicated to elevating great cinema,from iconic directors to emerging auteurs.

FESTIVAL FAVORITE

Acclaimed standouts from festivals around the world.

The Ballad of Wallis Island  (United Kingdom) 

Director: James Griffiths, Producer: Rupert Majendie, Screenwriters: Tom Basden, Tim Key

An eccentric lottery winner lives alone on a remote island and dreams of getting his favorite musicians back together. Fantasy quickly turns into reality when the bandmates and former lovers accept his invitation to play a private show. Cast: Tom Basden, Tim Key, Sian Clifford, Akemnji Ndifornyen, Carey Mulligan (Texas Premiere)

Friendship

Director/Screenwriter: Andrew DeYoung, Producers: Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Nick Weidenfeld, Johnny Holland

Suburban dad Craig has his life turned upside down by the arrival of a new neighbor. As Craig’s attempts to make a friend spiral out of control, their blossoming relationship threatens to ruin both of their lives. Cast: Tim Robinson, Paul Rudd, Kate Mara, Jack Dylan Grazer (U.S. Premiere)

The Perfect Neighbor

Director: Geeta Gandbhir, Producers: Geeta Gandbhir, Nikon Kwantu, Alisa Payne, Sam Bisbee

In June 2023, Ajike Owens, a vibrant, Black mother of four and a family friend, was killed by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz. The Perfect Neighbor unravels the chilling escalation from a minor dispute to a murder. (Texas Premiere)

The Surfer (Australia, Ireland)

Director: Lorcan Finnegan, Producers: Leonora Darby, James Harris, Robert Connolly, James Grandison, Brunella Cocchiglia, Nicolas Cage, Nathan Klingher, Screenwriter: Thomas Martin

A man returns to the idyllic beach of his childhood to surf with his son, but is humiliated by a group of powerful locals and drawn into a conflict that rises with the punishing heat of the summer and pushes him right to his breaking point. Cast: Nicolas Cage, Julian McMahon, Nic Cassim, Alexander Bertrand, Justin Rosniak, Finn Little (North American Premiere)

Touch Me

Director/Screenwriter: Addison Heimann, Producers: John Humber, David Lawson Jr., Addison Heimann

Touch Me is a story about two codependent best friends who become addicted to the heroin-like touch of an alien narcissist who may or may not be trying to take over the world. Cast: Olivia Taylor Dudley, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jordan Gavaris, Marlene Forte, Paget Brewster, JJ Philips, Yumarie Morales, Ashley Lauren Nedd, Eli Lucas (Texas Premiere)

Zodiac Killer Project (U.S., United Kingdom)

Director: Charlie Shackleton, Producers: Charlie Shackleton, Catherine Bray, Anthony Ing

Having tried and failed to make a true crime documentary, filmmaker Charlie Shackleton walks the viewer through what could have been. (Texas Premiere)

TV PROGRAM

TV PREMIERE

World premieres of prestige TV series premieres from acclaimed showrunners and directors.

#1 Happy Family USA

Showrunners: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Directors: Griffith Kimmins, Hannah Ayoubi, Maaike Maliwanag Scherff, Producers: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Andy Campagna, Mona Chalabi, Josh Rabinowitz, Ravi Nandan, Hallie Sekoff, Alli Reich, Screenwriters: Ramy Youssef, Pam Brady, Josh Rabinowitz, Theresa Mulligan Rosenthal

#1 Happy Family USA follows the Husseins – the most patriotic, most peaceful, and most definitely-not-suspicious Muslim family in post-9/11 “Amreeka” as they navigate the early 2000s under the watchful eyes of their terrified neighbors. Cast: Ramy Youssef, Mandy Moore, Chris Redd, Alia Shawkat, Kieran Culkin, Akaash Singh, Salma Hindy, Whitmer Thomas, Randa Jarrar (World Premiere)

Government Cheese

Showrunners/Screenwriters: Paul Hunter, Aeysha Carr, Director: Paul Hunter,  Producers: Paul Hunter, Aeysha Carr, David Oyelowo, Charles D. King, Jelani Johnson, Ali Brown

Government Cheese is a seemingly surrealist family comedy set in 1969 San Fernando Valley that tells the story of the Chambers, a quirky family pursuing lofty and impossible dreams, beautifully unfettered by the realities of the world. Cast: David Oyelowo, Simone Missick, Jahi Di’Allo Winston, Evan Ellison, Bokeem Woodbine (World Premiere)

Happy Face

Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jennifer Cacicio, Director: Michael Showalter, Producers: Jennifer Cacicio, Robert King, Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Melissa Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick 

Inspired by a true-life story, Happy Face tells the story of Melissa Reed, daughter of Keith Jesperson, aka the Happy Face Killer. Cast: Annaleigh Ashford, Dennis Quaid, James Wolk, Tamera Tomakili, Khiyla Aynne, Benjamin Mackey (World Premiere)

Spy High

Director: Jody McVeigh-Schultz, Producers: Mark Wahlberg, Stephen Levinson, Archie Gips, Aliza Rosen, Jody McVeigh-Schultz, David Wendell

When 15-year-old Blake Robbins was accused of selling drugs, he filed a lawsuit alleging that his prestigious high school was spying on him. This fed a wild scandal with revelations that echo in the war over digital privacy in schools today. (World Premiere)

The Studio

Showrunners/Directors/Screenwriters: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Producers: Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, Alex Gregory, Peter Heck, Alex McAtee, Josh Fagen

In The Studio, Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. Cast: Seth Rogen, Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Chase Sui Wonders, Katheryn Hahn (World Premiere)

TV SPOTLIGHT

World premieres of new seasons of acclaimed shows and exciting series episodes.

Dates in Real Life (Norway)

Showrunner/Director/Screenwriter: Jakob Rørvik, Producers: Petter Onstad Løkke, Synnøve Hørsdal

Ida spends most of her life online. When her boyfriend Marvin, whom she’s never met in person, announces he’s dating another woman in real life, her world collapses. Ida sets out on a quest to find her own physical partner. Cast: Gina Bernhoft Gørvell, Jacques Colimon, Mathias Luppichini, Heidi Goldmann, Amund Sigurdssønn, Ifeoma Anene, Alexandra Vuillot, Ken Yamamura, Nikis Theophilakis

Dui Shaw (Bangladesh)

Showrunner/Director: Nuhash Humayun, Producer: Redoan Rony, Screenwriters: Nuhash Humayun, Gultekin Khan

After desecrating a sacred temple, some hooligans must face the supernatural consequences of their hate crime. Dui Shaw takes the dark side of contemporary South Asia and gives it a supernatural spin. Cast: Allen Shubhro, Rizvi Rizu, Refat Hasan Saykat, Abdullah Sentu, Rafayatullah Sohan, Faiza Rahman Noon, Sahana Rahman Sumi, Mizanur Rahman, Mehmud Siddique, Yashrib Habib

Mix Tape (Canada, Australia, Finland, Ireland)

Showrunner/Screenwriter: Jo Spain, Director: Lucy Gaffy 

In Sheffield, 1989, teens Daniel and Alison meet at a house party, and bond over their love for music. The relationship they forge that night will follow them forever, and leave them wondering what could have been. Twenty years later, they reconnect. Cast: Jim Sturgess, Teresa Palmer, Florence Hunt, Rory Walton-Smith (World Premiere)

Push (Germany)

Showrunner: Luisa Hardenberg, Directors: Katja Benrath, Mia Maariel Meyer, Producer: Marie-Therese Dalke, Screenwriter: Luisa Hardenberg

Push revolves around the daily challenges of three midwives  working in a hospital in Berlin. They need to be nothing less than nurses, social workers and psychologists at the same time. Cast: Mariam Hage, Anna Schudt, Lydia Lehmann

INDEPENDENT TV PILOT COMPETITION

Discover new pilots from indie talent.

Bulldozer

Showrunner/Screenwriter: Joanna Leeds, Director: Andrew Leeds, Producers: Joanna Leeds, Andrew Leeds, Rhett Reese, Caleb Reese, Michael Day

Bulldozer is a comedy about a lovable, under-medicated, chronically impassioned young woman who lurches from crisis to crisis of her own making. Cast: Joanna Leeds, Mary Steenburgen, Nat Faxon, Harvey Guillen, Allen Leech, Kate Burton, Chris “CP” Powell, Tim Bagley, Adargiza De Los Santos, Andrew Friedman, Nick Armstrong (Texas Premiere)

Cigarettes

Director/Screenwriter: Sarah Mokh, Producers: Elaine Tunnat, Amanda Pinto

When Nora finds Ali bumming cigarettes outside a gas station, she skips school on her college decision day to help him settle a debt. Cast: Laith Nakli, Nada Shehata, Ramon Nunez, Patrick Boyle (US Premiere)

Denim

Showrunner/Director/Producer: Tedra Wilson

Denim is a fantastical doc series illuminating the brilliant minds of LGBTQIA+ creatives who showcase how they use their art as a form of self discovery. (World Premiere)

F*ckUps Anonymous

Showrunner/Screenwriter: Joe Tierney, Director: Kat Whalen, Producers: Joe Tierney, Nicole Kay Payson, Colin McCarthy

A rebellious teenager is sent to a therapeutic boarding school with controversial methods where the treatment of a fellow classmate on his first day makes the consequences of his actions frighteningly clear. Cast: Sarah Jeffery, Andrew Michael Fama, Debbie Campbell, Lexi Simonsen, Bob Gallagher, Marvin St-Jean, Stephen Gray, Timothy Griffin Allan (World Premiere)

Mr. Corruption

Showrunners/Screenwriters: Simeon Hu, Stephen Law, Director: Simeon Hu, Producers: Elliot Gong, Wendi Tang, Philip Ge

A corrupt Chinese businessman on the run teams up with his estranged son, in order to find his hidden money in Southern California to ensure their safety. Cast: Bruce “Kaze” Wang, Zhang Wang, Tiger Sheu, Scott Williams, Terrance Wentz, Ross Turner (World Premiere)

R&R

Director/Screenwriter/Producer: JJ Herz

Co-dependent twins Robbie (a responsible, hopeless romantic with Down syndrome) and Rachel (a raunchy, gay mess) tackle a chaotic, yet typical day in their lives. Cast: Kevin Iannucci, JJ Herz (World Premiere)

Stars Diner

Directors: Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker, Producers/Screenwriters: Mary Neely, Fidel Ruiz-Healy, Tyler Walker

Stars Diner isn’t the best choice for a quick steak & eggs. Run by ex-party girl Wendy, unhinged chef Milius, and odd busboy Willard, this Fresno greasy spoon must overcome unpaid bills and a once-in-a-lifetime volcanic eruption. Cast: Mary Neely, DeMorge Brown, Henri Cash, Cole Hersch, Chris Thayer, Natalie Palamides (World Premiere)

SHORT PROGRAM Presented by Vimeo

Thank you to our Jury Award sponsor, Vimeo: the world’s most innovative video experience platform for creators and enterprises. 

NARRATIVE SHORT COMPETITION

Exceptional storytelling that captivates, surprises, and excites.

24 Hours After Reading Tuesdays with Morrie

Director/Screenwriter: Scott Tinkham, Producers: Michael Woloson, Scott Tinkham

A guy has an existential awakening after reading the hit book Tuesdays with Morrie. (World Premiere)

Baba I’m Fine

Director/Screenwriter: Karina Dandashi, Producers: Stephen Turselli, Dan Duthie

A teen navigates heartbreak through social media while spending Friday out with her father. (World Premiere)

Ben’s Sister

Director/Screenwriter: Emma Weinswig, Producers: Will Noyce, Emma Weinswig, Shane Bagwell, Chelsea Eisen

Ben, a charismatic fuckboy, must wrestle with his own toxic masculine tendencies when his Freshman sister becomes a pawn in his friend’s scheme to win their high school Senior Scavenger Hunt. (World Premiere)

Brief Somebodies (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Andy Reid, Producer: Alessandra Sconza

While rehearsing a sexual assault scene, a pair of actors form a connection they’ll be forced to reconfigure once filming begins. (World Premiere)

Entre Tormentas

Director/Screenwriter: Fran Zayas, Producers: José Vélez, Fran Zayas, Surhail Navarro

After a hurricane ravaged his hometown, a grieving man breaks into an off-limits cemetery to rescue the lost remains of his brother in order to, alongside his mother, give him a proper burial. (World Premiere)

Grandma’s Four Color Cards (Vietnam)

Director: Sally Tran, Producers: Ngân Lê, Kiều Vy

From her tiny home in Saigon’s bustling District 4, 101-year-old Ngoai runs an underground card game. With her loyal cat and the kindness of her neighbors, she faces poverty with unwavering resilience and quiet strength. (World Premiere)

How Was Your Weekend?

Director/Screenwriter: Cam Banfield, Producers: Greg Cohen, Lucas Ford

A corporate employee finds himself in a fight to survive Monday morning after breaking the most sacred of office rules: If you don’t have a good weekend, we can’t have a good week. (World Premiere)

I’m The Most Racist Person I Know (Australia)

Director/Screenwriter: Leela Varghese, Producer: Suriyna Sivashanker

When Lali unexpectedly ends up on a date with another woman of color for the first time, it unravels prejudices she has long ignored. (World Premiere)

Max Distance

Director/Screenwriter: Marissa Goldman, Producers: Rachel Moss, Jack Fatheree

Stuck in endless droning Zoom meetings, a programmer daydreams about the stranger next door—until she finally gets a chance at love. (World Premiere)

Nervous Energy

Director/Screenwriter: Eve Liu, Producers: Gregory Barnes, Elias Putnam, Alex Bendo

On the cusp of success/failure, two unhinged female filmmakers decide to break up with their boyfriends and for once, make a bold decision with their lives. (World Premiere)

Night Bloom

Director/Screenwriter: Tiye Amenechi, Producers: Satchel Lee, Cameron Debe

Riddled with insomnia and restlessness, a father and daughter duo go on a late night joyride through the streets of New York City during the height of the pandemic. (World Premiere)

One Day This Kid (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Alexander Farah, Producer: Joaquin Cardoner

One day this kid will feel something stir in his heart and throat and mouth. One day this kid will reach a point where he senses a division that isn’t mathematical. One day this kid will talk. (Texas Premiere)

Out for Delivery

Director/Screenwriter: Chelsea Christer, Producers: Clinton Trucks, Alexa Rocero, David B. Lyons

When terminally ill Joanna makes the difficult decision to pursue end of life options through the Death With Dignity law, the systems set up to make her death peaceful and dignified become the opposite. (Texas Premiere)

The Sentry (U.S., Cambodia)

Director/Screenwriter: Jake Wachtel, Producers: Visal Sok, Alan Milligan, Jake Wachtel

On assignment in Cambodia, a suave superspy has a haunting encounter with a garrulous guard and must come to terms with the damage he’s inflicted on the local community. (World Premiere)

The Singers

Director: Sam Davis, Producers: Jack Piatt, David Breschel, Charlie Cohen

An impromptu sing-off will decide the best singer in the bar tonight. (World Premiere)

Strangers in the Same Shirt

Director/Screenwriter: Anthon Chase Johnson, Producers: Lauralee Gonzalez, Andrew Scott James, Clay Connor Dean

Estranged siblings reluctantly reunite at their father’s third wedding, where unresolved tensions flare. As they confront relationship and familial discord, an unexpected act of compassion offers the siblings a new hope for their relationship. (World Premiere)

Synthesize Me (U.S., Netherlands)

Director/Screenwriter: Bear Damen, Producers: Salim El Arja, Po Wei Su

In 1989 a young teenager finds a way to bring her mother’s synthesizers back to life with disastrous consequences for her and her father. (World Premiere)

Unholy

Director/Screenwriter: Daisy Friedman, Producers: Arielle Friedman, Isaak Popkin, Camila Grimaldi

A girl with a gastrointestinal disorder attends her family’s Passover Seder for the first time since being put on a feeding tube. There, she’s confronted by pushy family members, malfunctioning medical devices, and a room of food she can’t eat. (Texas Premiere)

WassupKaylee (U.S., France)

Director: Pepi Ginsberg, Producers: Stéphane Marchal, Nelson Ghrénassia, Karen Madar, Pepi Ginsberg

Kaylee Hord, a 17-year-old prank video influencer, is the newest member of a popular TikTok content house where she struggles to fit in and pay the rent. (World Premiere)

Yú Cì (Fish Bones)

Director/Screenwriter: Kevin Xian Ming Yu, Producers: Shayan Ajmal Farooq, Camila Grimaldi, Kevin Xian Ming Yu

Bowen, a nonbinary Asian-American from Queens, tries to connect with their estranged father and help him deal with a poisonous fish bite. (World Premiere)

DOCUMENTARY SHORT COMPETITION

Authentic storytelling that captivates, surprises, and excites.

Armed only with a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud

Directors: Brent Renaud, Craig Renaud, Producers: Juan Arredondo, Jon Alpert, Christof Putzel, Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Tina Nguyen, Jeff Newton, Mami Kuwano Renaud, Naomi Mizoguchi, Tami Alpert

An intimate film about documentary filmmaker Brent Renaud, the first American journalist killed in Ukraine. Brent captured many wars from the front lines but cared most about the people caught in the middle. He used his camera to fight for peace. (World Premiere)

Camp Widow

Directors/Producers: Laura Green, Anna Moot-Levin

An immersion into a weekend gathering of “widows” (people of all ages, genders, and sexual orientations), this unexpected re-writing of the story of what it is to be a “widow” is by turns devastating and unexpectedly funny. (World Premiere)

Exodus

Director: Nimco Sheikhaden, Producers: Nimco Sheikhaden, Sara Chishti

Exodus is an intimate portrait of two women who face unique challenges following decades of incarceration. The film bears witness to their impassioned attempts to rebuild their lives and ultimately restore their humanity. (World Premiere)

The Goldfish Club

Director/Producer: Max Henderson

A traumatic event at an air display festival in England haunts the minds of the wingwalkers and the airplane pilot involved. (World Premiere)

The Long Valley

Directors/Producers: Robert Machoian, Rodrigo Ojeda-Beck

The film is a meditation on the difficulty of accepting reality, while finding room to dream. It documents the people and landscape of the Salinas Valley, one of the most productive agricultural regions in California. (Texas Premiere)

Looking for a Donkey (Mexico, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela)

Director/Screenwriter: Juan Vicente Manrique, Producers: Juan Vicente Manrique, María Benítez

In a small town in the Venezuelan Andes, two firefighters were taken to prison for recording a video of a donkey. After almost six years, little is known about the donkey’s whereabouts. (U.S. Premiere)

Murewa (United Kingdom)

Director: Ché Scott-Heron Newton, Producer: Matt Houghton

What if you had a second chance at a childhood friendship? (World Premiere)

Shanti Rides Shotgun

Director: Charles Frank, Producers: Daniel Lombroso, Meliz Yilmaz

On Manhattan’s jam-packed streets, NYC’s most iconic driving instructor prepares students for the road ahead. (World Premiere)

Tiger

Director/Screenwriter: Loren Waters, Producers: Dana Tiger, Loren Waters

Tiger highlights an Indigenous award-winning, internationally acclaimed artist and elder, Dana Tiger, her family, and the resurgence of the iconic Tiger t-shirt company. (Texas Premiere)

We Beg To Differ (Ireland, United Kingdom)

Director: Ruairi Bradley, Producers: Thomas Purdy, Ruairi Bradley

In the underground world of diffing, a subculture of car enthusiasts in the North of Ireland finds an outlet for their personal struggles amidst a mental health crisis. (North American Premiere)

Welcome Home Freckles (United Kingdom)

Director/Producer: Huiju Park

After four years apart, a daughter returns home to confront the unresolved family conflicts and deep-rooted domestic violence that plagued her childhood. She discovers the generational cycle of abuse and realizes that only she can break it. (World Premiere)

ANIMATED SHORT COMPETITION

A whirlwind tour of hand drawn, stop-motion, and digital revelries.

Baggage (Australia, United Kingdom)

Director/Screenwriter: Lucy Davidson, Producers: Vanessa Batten, Amy Upchurch

Anthropomorphic suitcase best friends bring their emotional baggage on holidays. (International Premiere)

Detlev (Germany)

Director/Screenwriter: Ferdinand Ehrhardt, Producers: Saskia Stirn, Ferdinand Ehrhardt

Detlev doesn’t have a problem. Why should he have a problem? He’s obviously doing great. (North American Premiere)

The Dream Machine

Director/Screenwriter: Jimmy Marble, Producers: Jett Steiger, Lana Kim, Thomas Grabinski

After the death of her beloved husband, a grieving widow chooses to participate in a program called The Dream Machine, a technology that renders our deepest fantasies a reality. (World Premiere)

Hurikán (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Czechia, France, Slovakia)

Director: Jan Saska, Screenwriters: Jan Saska, Václav Hašek, Producers: Kamila Dohnalová, Martin Vandas, Alena Vandasová, Antoine Liétout, Ivan Zuber, Juraj Krasnohorský, Mladen Đukić

A deep-fried romance from Prague. (Texas Premiere)

Mambo No.2 (Germany)

Director/Screenwriter: Anne Feldmeier, Producer: Sebastian Herbst

Betti’s date with Tom seems perfect—until her bowels stage a rebellion, turning the evening into a battle against her own body. (North American Premiere)

Mine!

Director/Producer: Lou Morton

Set in the early 20th century Midwest USA, deep underground a group of coal miners make an incredible discovery. (World Premiere)

My Wonderful Life (Singapore)

Director/Screenwriter: Calleen Koh, Producers: Tan Si En, Joel Neo, Daryl Cheong

Grace Lee, an overworked mom in Singapore, collapses at work. She gets admitted into the hospital, where she finds newfound freedom as a patient. (U.S. Premiere)

Retirement Plan (Ireland)

Director: John Kelly, Screenwriters: John Kelly, Tara Lawall, Producers: Julie Murnaghan, Andrew Freedman

At apathy with his life, Ray dreams of the beauty and joy he will find in retirement. (International Premiere)

S The Wolf (France)

Director: Sameh Alaa, Producer: Avantika Singh Desbouvries        

A man recounts his capillary peregrinations from adolescence until now – from the barber’s trauma to his first love to the loss of his hair and eventually of the most important person in his life. (World Premiere)

TV or The Disturbance on Forest Hill Road (Switzerland)

Director/Screenwriter: Frederic Siegel, Producers: Marwan Abdalla Eissa, Fela Bellotto

A police patrol is involuntarily drawn into a vortex of fictional worlds, triggered by the intense TV consumption of a little boy. (World Premiere)

Words of Her (U.S., China)

Director/Screenwriter: Charlene Xu

“That woman” comes to her city for a short stay, bringing her the rain season from home. Inexplicable sensations torment her mind and body like mold, so she sinks into the reeds that grow out of the wounds on her finger. (North American Premiere)

MIDNIGHT SHORT COMPETITION

Indulge your cravings for horror, gore, and dark comedy.

The Beguiling

Director/Screenwriter: ishkwaazhe Shane McSauby, Producers: Savannah Romero, Frisly Soberanis, Fran Zayas, Génesis Mancheren Ab’äj

What seems to be a burgeoning romance between two Indigenous people takes a sinister turn as one grows suspicious of the other’s Indigenous heritage. When confronted, deceit turns their romantic evening into a darkly comedic nightmare. (US Premiere)

Familiar (France)

Director/Screenwriter: Marco Novoa, Producers: Clémence Crépin Neel, Igor Courtecuisse

Steve is kicked out by his parents, who do not accept his homosexuality. Caroline, on the other hand, is struggling to mourn her motherhood as she accompanies Youri on tour. (North American Premiere)

Last Call (U.S., Australia, Hong Kong)

Director: Winnie Cheung, Screenwriters: Andujar Twins, Winnie Cheung, Producers: Weston Auburn, Travis Wood, Celia Au, Amanda Kreuger

A motorcycle rebel spirals deeper into her erotic hallucinations to escape the grip of a sultry serpent woman. (World Premiere)

Lurk

Directors: Mairin Hart, Josh Wallace Kerrigan, Screenwriter: Josh Wallace Kerrigan, Producers: Mairin Hart, Josh Wallace Kerrigan, Devin Das, Greg Cohen, John Nodorft

A man is awoken late at night by an unexpected visitor who won’t seem to leave him alone. (World Premiere)

Stomach Bug (United Kingdom)

Director/Screenwriter: Matty Crawford, Producer: Karima Sammout-Kanellopoulou

A single Father’s empty nest syndrome begins to manifest as an unsettling physical condition. (U.S. Premiere)

Video Barn

Director: Bianca Poletti, Screenwriter: Allison Goldfarb, Producer: Stine Moisen

Two outcasts who work at a small town’s local video store must solve the mysteries of the town’s dark past when one of them goes missing. Will Hannah find her way to Jules or will she, too, become just another flickering image on the screen? (World Premiere)

Whitch

Director/Screenwriter: Hoku Uchiyama, Producer: Kelly King

After putting her daughter to bed, Aura discovers an intruder in her house: an elderly lady who acts strangely familiar, and is hell-bent on performing a bloody ritual before midnight. (World Premiere)

TEXAS SHORT COMPETITION

Vibrant work filmed in, inspired by, or connected to the Lone Star State.

An Ongoing List of Things Found in the Library Book Drop, Usually Being Used as Bookmarks

Director/Screenwriter: Kayla Abuda Galang, Producers: Preston Lee, Alifya Ali, Samantha Skinner

Library worker Daniel catalogs an assortment of forgotten objects left in returned books. (World Premiere)

Good Time Charlie

Director: David Black, Screenwriter: Natalia Leite, Producers: Kari Dexter, Russ Lemkin

Charlie, a washed-up country rocker turned real estate agent, clings to his dreams of stardom in the high desert. When a visit to an abandoned homestead leaves him bitten and bewildered, he is forced to confront the reality of his dreams. (World Premiere)

Harvester

Director/Screenwriter: Charlie Schwan, Producers: Micah Schultz, Ryan Kerr, Charlie Schwan

A woman forms a pact with a dark entity in exchange for a glimpse into her tormented past. (World Premiere)

Neuro

Director/Screenwriter: Wes Ellis, Producers: Shane Greb, Learda Shkurti, Wes Ellis

In the 1970s and after a traumatic event on their honeymoon, a couple visit an experimental, and borderline unethical memory research facility called Neuro to hopefully heal their marriage. (World Premiere)

Newbies

Directors/Screenwriters: Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, Megan Trufant Tillman, Producers: Stephanie Roush, Melissa Louis-Jacques

Two broken strangers wrestling with their queer identities meet on the subway just after midnight. A poignant, poetic journey through the past few hours of their night reveals how they got here, and what broke them. (World Premiere)

Randy As Himself

Director/Screenwriter: Margaret Miller, Producer: Natalie Metzger

A Hollywood production crew comes to West Texas to recreate the grisly murder of a local woman. Using locals to re-enact the crime, Reality TV meets Reality in this bizarre romantic comedy about the (show) business of murder. (World Premiere)

Red Sands

Director: Romina Cenisio, Screenwriters: Romina Cenisio, Andrea Cruz, Producers: Romina Cenisio, Sean Mattison

In the red hued deserts of West Texas, an intergenerational Mexican-American off-roading community thrives in the border town of El Paso—until a looming danger forces them to confront both their relationship to the land and their shared identity.(World Premiere)

Sweetbriar

Director/Screenwriter: Danny Rivera, Producer: MK Goss

A love letter to mothers that blends scripted and documentary. Sweetbriar features the director’s own mother, Violeta Salazar, as a woman taking great pride in her home as she prepares to host her visiting queer son. (World Premiere)

MUSIC VIDEO COMPETITION 

A dynamic mix of creativity and stylish visuals where music and storytelling collide.

A$AP Rocky  – ‘Tailor Swif’ / Directors/Screenwriters: Vania Heymann, Gal Muggia 

Biji – ‘Zigidi’ (France, Germany, Sweden, United Kingdom) / Director: Maceo Frost, Screenwriters: Maceo Frost, Robin Nazari

Billy Strings – ‘Seven Weeks In County’ / Director/Screenwriter: Bryan Schlam

Carson Coma – ‘Feldobom a Követ’ (Hungary) / Director/Screenwriter: Viktor Horvath

Cera Gibson – ‘Eclipse’ / Director: Alex Vaughn

Foster the People – ‘Lost in Space’ / Director: Rupert Höller

French Cassettes  – ‘White Noise’ / Director: Syra McCarthy

Hana Vu – ‘Care’ / Director: Maegan Houang

Jeremy Pope – ‘U, Lost + What I Gotta Do’ / Director: C Prinz, Screenwriter: Jeremy Pope

Khruangbin  – ‘May Ninth’ / Directors: Jenny Lucia Mascia, Jeremy Higgins, Screenwriters: Nathaniel Murphy, Jeremy Higgins, Jenny Lucia Mascia

Laboratorios Moreno – ‘Sonidos del Bosque’ (Mexico) / Director/Screenwriter: Alejandro Espinosa

Nubiyan Twist ft Nile Rodgers – ‘Lights Out’ (France, United Kingdom) / Director: Alice Bibette

Only Twin – ‘Give You Up’ / Directors: Josh Martin, Ryan McNeeley, Screenwriters: Thomas Dutton, Josh Martin

Red Clay Strays – ‘Wanna Be Loved’ / Director/Screenwriter: Kimberly Stuckwisch

RM – ‘Lost!’ (U.S., United Kingdom) / Director: Aube Perrie

Sabrina Carpenter – ‘Please Please Please’ / Director: Bardia Zeinali

Sarah Klang – ‘Other Girls’ (Sweden) / Directors: Rose Bush, Kirsten Bode

Sleater-Kinney – ‘Say It Like You Mean It’ / Director: Carrie Brownstein

XR EXPERIENCE

The immersive arts enhance and redefine how we experience the world. These projects emphasize ingenuity and storytelling across diverse industries. 

XR Experience Competition

World premieres of mind bending immersive art.

1906 Atlanta Race Massacre

Director: Nonny de la Peña, Producers: Nonny de la Peña, Dan Brower, Screenwriters: Nonny de la Peña, Retha Hill, Alton Glass

Through the contemporaneous writings of magazine editor Jesse Max Barber, this augmented reality piece tells the true story of the terrible events of September 1906 when a white mob attacked a thriving black community in Atlanta, Georgia. (World Premiere)

Any War Any Enemy

Director/Screenwriter: Lena Herzog, Producers: Lena Herzog, Jonathan Yomayuza

Any War Any Enemy is an anti-war immersive requiem. (World Premiere)

The Choice – Chapters 2 & 3 (Canada, U.S., Poland)

Director/Screenwriter: Joanne Popinska, Producers: Joanne Popinska, Tom C. Hall

Three people, one decision. In a world where choice is often denied, step into a transformative journey of autonomy and resilience. The 2022 SXSW Audience Award winner returns with new episodes, delving into the complexities of abortion decisions. (World Premiere)

Cosmos in Focus (United Kingdom)

Directors: Tom Henchman, Aditi Rajagopal, Producer: Anna Taylor

This immersive journey through the cosmos on Apple Vision Pro brings the beauty captured from the far reaches of the universe by the telescopes Euclid, Hubble and James Webb to your own reachable universe. (World Premiere)

Currents

Director/Screenwriter: Jake Oleson, Producer: Cham Nguyen 

A young woman leaves her rural village for Saigon, where the city’s rush forward challenges her ties to the life she left behind. (World Premiere)

Face Jumping

Directors: Danny Cannizzaro, Samantha Gorman, Producers: Yuxin Gao, J Noland, Screenwriter: Samantha Gorman

Face Jumping, an eye-tracked VR experience, invites you to swap perspectives by making eye contact. Leap between minds – from human to animal, object to machine – exploring how seeing and being seen shapes reality, perception, and self. (World Premiere)

Honey Fungus (Ireland)

Director: Jonah King, Producer: Alex Darby

Led by a queer mycelial guide, Honey Fungus takes viewers on a journey of ecological self-discovery through interactive fungal landscapes where science and sensuality collide to reveal Earth’s hidden erotic potential. (World Premiere)

In the Current of Being (U.S., France)

Director: Cameron Kostopoulos, Producers: Cameron Kostopoulos, Katayoun Dibamehr, Avi Amar

In the Current of Being is a haptic immersive experience chronicling the harrowing journey of a survivor of electroshock conversion therapy. (World Premiere)

The Last Practice (U.S., Portugal)

Director: Phil McCarty, Producers: Phil McCarty, David Dong, Nate Sherman, Screenwriters: Phil McCarty, David Dong

The Last Practice is an interactive one-act play which culminates in a musical performance, giving the participant the chance to experience the act of collaborative musical creation, and sample the thrill of performance. (World Premiere)

Proof As If Proof Were Needed (Taiwan, United Kingdom)

Directors: Ting Tong Chang, Matt Adams, Producer: Chun Han Lin, Screenwriter: Uray Chen

Explore an abandoned Taiwanese home in this interactive film installation about the debris of a relationship breakdown. (World Premiere)

Reflections of Little Red Dot (U.S., Germany)

Director/Producer: Chloé Lee

A mixed reality project that animates the artist’s archive of Singaporean voices in 2015, the year of the nation’s 50th birthday. We hear personal stories amidst rapid development and erasure of historical sites. AI projections link past and future. (World Premiere)

The Secret Life of Monsters – The Gateway Experience (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Emile Arragon, Producers: JP Desjardins, Jasmine Gervais

In this mixed reality adventure, you are exploring Solum, a parallel world accessed through a station called Gateway. Your mission: gather data on its inhabitants and uncover secrets that could reshape our understanding of reality itself. (World Premiere)

Shelter (Netherlands)

Directors: Sjors Swierstra, Ivanna Khitsinska, Producers: Ivanna Khitsinska, Justin Karten, Screenwriter: Sjors Swierstra

The VR documentary Shelter gives viewers an intimate look at the war in Ukraine. The film immerses them in everyday scenes and invites them to witness moments of shared humanity and reflect on the cost of war. (World Premiere)

Traces: The Grief Processor (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Vali Fugulin, Producer: Ziad Touma

Traces: The Grief Processor is a multiuser interactive VR experience that invites you to poetically explore your own grief. In a dreamlike forest, engage with symbolic elements of nature to transform your actions into profound emotional expressions. (World Premiere)

Ways of Knowing: A Navajo Nuclear History

Director: Kayla Briët, Producers: Lovely Umayam, Adriel Luis, Screenwriter: Lovely Umayam

The American Southwest holds a dark legacy as the place where nuclear weapons were invented and built. Navajo people have long held this place sacred, and continue to fight for a future that transcends historical trauma. This is their story. (World Premiere)

XR Experience Spotlight

Masterful immersive art from around the world. 

A Number From the Ghost

Director: Peter Adams

An immersive, dreamlike experience that lets players step into a series of interactive music videos. Wander through hallucinatory landscapes in a genre-defying melding of video games, short film, and generative art. 

Address Unknown: Fukushima Now (U.S., Taiwan)

Director/Screenwriter: Arif Khan, Producers: Arif Khan, Jamie Line, Keisuke Sekino

Address Unknown: Fukushima Now is an immersive VR documentary that uses photogrammetry and volumetric capture to take audiences to the heart of Fukushima to meet the survivors living in the shadow of the crisis today. (North American Premiere)

All I Know About Teacher Li

Director: Zhuzmo

Countless paper planes filled with censored messages from China float towards you in this interactive VR documentary. Toss them back and feel what it’s like to start an online revolution, like Teacher Li did in 2022. (North American Premiere)

Ancestors (Netherlands)

Director: Steye Hallema, Producer: Shea Elmore, Screenwriters: Steye Hallema, Shea Elmore

Take a selfie and become the great, great grandparent of a human 200 years in the future. Ancestors is an interactive and immersive group experience that will make you profoundly connect with your fellow players and with future generations. (Texas Premiere)

Anouschka (U.S., Netherlands)

Director: Tamara Shogaolu, Producers: Tamara Shogaolu, Riyad Alnwili, Daisy Corbin O’Grady, Screenwriters: Tamara Shogaolu, Elinor Vanderburg, Sandy Bosmans

In Anouschka, an AR adventure, a young teen delves into her grandmother’s memory, uncovering hidden magic in a colorless world. Through family stories and a vibrant neighborhood, she gains confidence and belonging, leading to a transformative quest. (International Premiere)

The Art of Change (U.S., Italy, Netherlands)

Directors/Screenwriters: Simone Fougnier, Vincent Rooijers, Producers: Peter Ariet, Megan Holland

The Art of Change is a VR-animated, multi-sensory journey through time, using tape-recorded voice memos and music to explore pivotal life moments. The project interweaves personal experiences and universal archetypes across virtual environments. (North American Premiere)

Chom5ky vs Chomsky: A Playful Conversation on AI (Canada)

Director/Screenwriter: Sandra Rodriguez, Producers: Marie-Pier Gauthier, Sebastian Huber

Chom5ky vs Chomsky: A playful conversation on AI is an engaging and collaborative VR experience that invites us to reexamine the promises and pitfalls of AI. What exactly are we trying to replicate? What do we fake? And what are we leaving behind? (International Premiere)

EchoVision

Directors: Jiabao Li, Botao Amber Hu, Producer: Jessica Kidd, Elan Tao

A mixed reality experience that invites you into an immersive bat world, where their AI-categorized social vocalizations are reinterpreted as evocative music. Echolocate like a bat by screaming and seeing the world bounce back. (U.S. Premiere)

Fly To You (Korea, Republic of)

Directors/Screenwriters: Youngyun Song, Sngmoo Lee, Producers: Seungmoo Lee, Seungpyo Kang

When young Songjeol yelled, “Don’t come back!” to her cousin, she didn’t know it would be their last moment. Seven decades after fleeing North Korea, her story reveals war’s lasting wounds, with dreams as the only bridge across the divide. (North American Premiere)

Future Botanica (Netherlands)

Director: Marcel van Brakel, Hazal Ertürkan, Producer: Marcel van Brakel

With this international premiere of Future Botanica, POLYMORF presents an AR experience where users can design future nature within speculative ecosystems, by using an app with generative AI systems the user can explore their relationship with nature. (International Premiere)

Just for You Trilogy (Taiwan)

Director/Screenwriter: Craig Quintero, Producer: Suling Yeh

Blurring the boundary between fact and fiction, the Just for You Trilogy immerses the audience in a surreal world of dreams and shadows, fears and desires. It is an invitation to see and be seen, to embrace the unknown. (World Premiere)

Origins – Life’s Epic Journey (Germany)

Director: Markos Kay

Origins is a captivating immersive experience through life’s epic journey – from the universe’s birth to first life. Blending stunning visuals and immersive soundscapes, it will leave audiences in awe of the extraordinary story of our beginnings. (International Premiere)

Oto’s Planet (Canada, France, Luxembourg)

Director/Screenwriter: Gwenael François, Producers: Julien Becker, Nicolas S. Roy, Vincent Guttmann, Voyelle Acker             

This VR/MR fable immerses viewers in the tranquil life of Oto and Skippy on their planet, which is disrupted by a spaceship collision. From the wreckage, cosmonaut Exo emerges, and cohabitation between them turns out to be a challenging endeavor. 

Resolution: A Cinephonic Rhapsody for the Soul

Directors: Scott Berman, Ryan Hartsell, Producer/Screenwriter: Scott Berman

An immersive cinephonic journey into the hopeful, heartfelt music of Salvage Enterprise by The Polyphonic Spree. Tune out distractions with this uplifting film, and tune in to a deeply human experience that invites you to feel, hope, and be moved. (Austin Premiere)

Sweet! (Netherlands)

Directors: René van Engelenburg, Gijs ten Cate

Step into this immersive and AI driven candy store! Choose your favorite flavor and discover the impact of color on your experience. Uncover the hidden history of sugar and its connections to the illusion of happiness. (World Premiere)

Uncanny Alley: A New Day (South Africa, U.S.)

Directors: Stephen Butchko, Rick Treweek, Producers: Stephen Butchko, Christopher Lane Davis, Whitton Frank, Deirdre V. Lyons, Screenwriter: Stephen Butchko

A cyberpunk computer whiz races against the clock to lead a group of escaped detainees to freedom through a hacked portal before the fascistic corporation that controls the city can erase their memories using experimental Radio Frequency technology. (U.S. Premiere)

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