Multi award-winning documentarian Duncan Cowles will premiere his first feature-length project at Sheffield DocFest this summer. The film is called Silent Men and it explores the stigma and taboo surrounding male mental health in the UK. It’s a project that digs deep into our notions of masculinity and how such societal pressures hold men back from opening up about their emotions. What are the consequences of keeping them bottled up? And how does it feel to express these long-suppressed feelings and receive support? Today, Duncan explores how these questions – paired with his own desire to get better at being vulnerable – served as the starting point for this documentary. Read on to learn more about his experience doing group therapy at a men’s retreat; what he wants to achieve with Silent Men as well as the personal significance of making his short Outlets (2023), which won the prize for Best Editing at ASFF 2023.
ASFF: It’s exciting to hear that Silent Men, your first feature-length film, is set to premier at DocFest this summer! Could you give us an introduction to the film?
DC: Silent Men is a (hopefully moving and entertaining) journey through male mental health. It’s part road trip, part therapy as I travel across primarily Northern parts of the UK and ask men how they deal with their emotions. I think it explores aspects of masculinity that are often little discussed in an open and honest way. The film is underpinned by my deep personal motivation to get better at opening up to my family and loved ones since it’s something I’ve always struggled with and could feel myself getting worse at as I aged. So, we also see my own personal journey as the narrative of making the film itself plays out on screen.
ASFF: What sparked the idea for this project?
DC: I think a deep frustration and worry about my own uselessness at being able to open up and show my feelings to loved ones. Around the time that the idea came about (2016-ish), there was a bit of a surge of male mental health stuff in the UK. Lots of statistics were being flagged about men and mental health. For example, research shows that avoiding or hiding your emotions can be linked to dark outcomes, such as suicide, and that suicide was the biggest killer of men under the age of 50.
Around that time, I also became aware of how many people in my own life – or who I knew in some way – had battled with these things, and had also struggled with the same issues surrounding opening up. It frightened me just how bad the statistics with men were in the UK – and so I decided to do a film about it.
ASFF: Male mental health is at the heart of this documentary. How do you approach this topic?
DC: I think the stats and themes around male mental health are very uncomfortable for people to talk about. With that in mind, I was keen to make a film that felt accessible. I wanted it to contain a lot of humour in addition to the more serious moments. So, from the get-go I wanted this film to feel fun and like something you’d actually want to watch, rather than some doom-and-gloom documentary about mental health. That way, hopefully more people will see it and it will potentially make more of an impact.
ASFF: Could you share with us some of the themes that came up after interviewing men on this road trip? What are your reflections on the experience?
DC:
Queer East returns for its fifth year with a programme of spectacular films. Established in 2020, the festival was born out of desire to create an artistic space for bold, unconventional and forward-thinking queer narratives originating from East and Southeast Asia and its diasporic communities. Over the past four years, 350 films have been screened in 42 venues across 23 cities in the UK, Europe and beyond. Today, we are thrilled to offer a peek into this year’s programme with these five films, from an exhilarating, contemporary coming-of-age story to an archival treasure from 1974.
The Last Year of Darkness | Benjamin Mullinkosson
As the city of Chengdu changes, the future of Funky Town, a beloved queer-friendly techno club, is unclear. For a vibrant group of DJs, drag performers, artists, lovers, ravers and skaters, the club is a sanctuary for underground partying and allows them to thrive after the sun sets. It’s the one place that accepts them for who they are. During the day, the regulars of Funky Town battle depression, question their sexuality and struggle to make a living. But with construction cranes looming as a metro station encroaches, the partygoers are forced to face what brought them to the club in the first place – and make the most of their remaining time there. A love letter to the Chengdu underground scene, The Last Year of Darkness is a coming-of-age documentary that celebrates the ephemerality of youth.
A Song Sung Blue | Geng Zihan
We fly to Harbin, north-east China. Here we meet 15-year-old Xian, who is forced to live with her father after her mother goes abroad for work. He is a free-spirited photographer, whom she has barely seen since her parents’ divorce. He’s in a relationship with his assistant, who has an 18-year-old Chinese-Korean daughter called Mingmei. A restless summer ensues, as the lonely, shy Xian becomes intoxicated with the extroverted, worldly Mingmei. A Song Sung Blue is an exhilarating coming-of-age story with vivid cinematography and exceptional performances from young actors Kay Huang and Jing Liang, who perfectly capture the complexities of the girls’ friendship and attraction. A testament to the innocence and impulses of youth, Geng Zihan’s debut feature signals the arrival of a powerful voice in queer cinema.
Sara | Ismail Basbeth
Sara, a trans woman in her mid-thirties, is made to return to her village in rural Indonesia to attend her father’s funeral. Arriving back home, she discovers that her mother has been severely traumatised by the bereavement: not only does she fail to accept her husband’s death, she also has no memory of Sara and treats her like a complete stranger. Seeking to help her mother, Sara resolves to play-act as her late father, the person she despises most and the reason she ran away many years ago. Centred on a stunning performance from Asha Smara Darra, this affecting family drama is about a woman desperate to break free from the past, who must nonetheless confront its enduring and wounding power.
Read more
Miami Film Festival announced its acclaimed lineup for its upcoming Festival taking place from April 5-14, 2024. The Festival will open with Thelma, directed by Josh Margolin and starring June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, and Parker Posey. The Festival will close with Ezra, directed by Tony Goldwyn, who will be in attendance on Saturday, April 13. Featuring ten World Premieres, ten North American Premieres, five U.S. Premieres, and 11 East Coast Premieres, and 42 Florida Premieres, the 2024 Miami Film Festival will celebrate more than 165 feature narratives, documentaries, and short films of all genres, from over 31 countries worldwide.
“This year’s lineup spotlights exciting narrative programming, essential documentaries, and groundbreaking shorts, bringing an unbelievable host of films to our local community,” said James Woolley, Executive Director. “The Miami Film Festival is delighted to welcome our audiences back for another year of incredible screenings and inspiring conversations.”
“We are thrilled to be bringing this incredible slate of diverse and exciting films to Miami,” said Lauren Cohen, Director of Programming. “With over 30 countries featured and nearly half of the presented features being directed by women, this lineup showcases films from some of the most prestigious festivals in the world, as well as a hugely impressive slate of works from up-and-coming filmmakers making their world, international, and North American premieres. We are so proud to have a lineup of films that will truly move audiences as we celebrate the very best in world cinema.”
MFF will open with the Magnolia Pictures film Thelma. Josh Margolin’s American comedy film follows a grandmother who embarks on a quest to recoup her money after she loses $10,000 in a phone scam. The film stars June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell. Director Josh Margolin and producer Zoë Worth will be in attendance to introduce the film.
The Festival will close with Bleecker Street’s Ezra, starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rainn Wilson. From director Tony Goldwyn, Ezra follows Max Bernal, a stand-up comedian living with his father, while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife. When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Ezra is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.
Three MARQUEE screening presentations will be presented with directors in attendance for post-screening Q&As. These include:
Dear Jassi (India, directed by Tarsem Singh), following the story of a young couple who desperately want to be together, but are separated due to time, distance, and societal expectations. Directly following the Florida Premiere screening of Dear Jassi, the Festival will host a 35mm retrospective screening of Singh’s 2000 film The Cell, co-presented by Popcorn Frights.
Read more
[Pictured: A still from Sujo]
By Stephanie Ornelas
“There are so many stories and layers to be told within Ciudad de México,” Paloma Riojas says over Zoom. The screenwriter/producer has a special place in her heart for Mexico City. Having lived and worked there, she knows that the city’s film scene is hungry and ready for more. Later this month, the first edition of Sundance Film Festival CDMX will take place, in partnership with Cinépolis, ready to expand the global community of independent filmmakers and film lovers.
A diverse and vibrant city, CDMX has been the hub of Mexican independent storytelling for decades and, in the runup to the Festival, we’re highlighting Institute-supported stories centered on Mexico City.
“Mexico City is such a rich environment to share stories and to have things written because it is like Los Angeles,” explains Riojas. “It has the gamut of perspectives and experiences that showcase the broad spectrum of how many different lives are being lived all at the same time in that rich and highly populated place.”
Riojas’ short film Nana, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival as part of the Sundance Institute Short Film Challenge, is one of seven projects written by women that we’re spotlighting today.
Something that’s often discussed is how Latine women filmmakers are still grappling with gender inequity and sourcing funding for their projects. Women storytellers are working tirelessly to change that, and the needle is definitely moving. Last year, for the first time ever, women dominated the nominations for Best Director at the Ariel Awards (Mexican Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences). And just this past January at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, writer-directors Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic for their film Sujo.
“[Stories written by women] can be universal, but they’re also wholly unique. It’s very important, and needed, to highlight stories written by women and to open up spaces for that to happen,” adds Riojas.
Before we journey to Mexico City on April 25 to showcase 12 features and 10 Mexican shorts at Cinépolis Diana and Cinépolis VIP Miyana, explore the following Sundance-supported films based in Mexico City that were written by women.
Red Dawn (Rojo Amanecer) — 1991 Sundance Film Festival
Jorge Fons’ drama, which was co-written by Guadalupe Ortega and Xavier Robles, addresses the massacre of more than 400 students by the Mexican army at Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Mexico City in 1968. Following a middle-class family who live in the Tlatelolco Housing complex that overlooks the plaza, the film explores the atrocities committed by military forces. Red Dawn (Rojo Amanecer) screened in the “Images of Mexico and Latin America” section at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.
&ldq
Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck were inspired to make “Sugar” after reading about the rising number of Dominican athletes who go to the U.S. to play baseball.
By Lucy Spicer
Spring has sprung, the birds are singing, and every new bloom is a reminder to celebrate the good things that come around every year. For indie-film lovers, that includes commemorating the dates when some of our favorite Sundance-supported titles received wide releases.
We’ve pulled an intriguing variety of films with April birthdays for the list below. This month’s offerings feature a 1970s summer coming-of-age story, a darkly funny Christmastime drug deal gone wrong, a crime ring led by high school overachievers, a Dominican baseball player at spring training in the U.S., and a nonfiction investigation into a mysterious death in the Arizona desert.
The Inkwell (1994) — It’s the summer of 1976: The U.S. is preparing to celebrate its bicentennial, and 16-year-old Drew (Larenz Tate) is still reeling from having accidentally set fire to his family’s garage. Drew’s parents, Kenny (Joe Morton) and Brenda (Suzzanne Douglas), worry about their shy son’s behavior, but a trip to see some estranged wealthy relatives on Martha’s Vineyard provides plenty of distractions. For one, Kenny, a former Black Panther, is constantly at odds with Drew’s staunchly Republican aunt and uncle. Meanwhile, Drew awkwardly attempts to make friends and pursue the elusive Lauren (Jada Pinkett Smith). The Inkwell, named after the moniker for the Martha’s Vineyard Black beach community, is director Matty Rich’s (Straight of out Brooklyn) second feature. Check here for viewing options.
Courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Go (1999) — Soap actors Adam (Scott Wolf) and Zack (Jay Mohr) are in the market for some ecstasy, but their usual hookup, Simon (Desmond Askew), is off on a Las Vegas romp. Hoping to collect enough cash to stave off eviction, Simon’s teenage co-worker Ronna (Sarah Polley) offers her assistance. But nothing is quite as it seems in director Doug Liman’s high-energy third feature. Part dark comedy, part crime film, part road trip adventure, Go features an ensemble cast (including Taye Diggs, Katie Holmes, Timothy Olyphant, William Fichtner, and Jane Krakowski, among others) that comes together to tell a multi-POV story full of uproarious twists and turns. Check here for viewing options.
Better Luck Tomorrow (2003) — On the surface, Ben Manibag (Parry Shen) fulfills the stereotype of the overachieving Asian American suburban high schooler: His grades are good, he’s on the basketball team, and he has plans to attend an Ivy League college. What’s a little petty crime with his friends Virgil (Jason Tobin) and Han (Sung Kang in the first appearance of his Fast & Furious franchise character) to blow off some steam? But pe
The Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 will take place from April 25th to 28th at Cinépolis Diana and Cinépolis VIP Miyana, along with projections at Cinépolis VIP Perisur, Cinépolis VIP Mitikah and Cinépolis VIP Satélite.
For four days, 12 feature films and six Mexican short films will be screened
Mexico City, April 2nd, 2024 – Cinépolis, the leading theatrical exhibition company in Mexico and Latin America, and the Sundance Institute, the nonprofit organization behind the world-famous Sundance Film Festival whose year-round work is dedicated to the discovery and development of independent artists and audiences, announced the 12 feature films and the Mexican short film program that will comprise the inaugural program of the Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024. The showcase will take place from April 25th to 28th at Cinépolis Diana and Cinépolis VIP Miyana, along with projections at Cinépolis VIP Perisur, Cinépolis VIP Mitikah and Cinépolis VIP Satélite. The Festival’s first edition in Mexico City will bring together audiences who will be a part of Sundance’s legacy and Cinépolis’s mission of empowering new stories and innovative independent artists.
Among the feature films that will be presented during Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 are In The Summers, the winner of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Dramatic Competition, and Daughters, the winner of the Audience Award: U.S. Documentary and Festival Favorite Award. Other films that will be presented during the festival include the crowd-pleasers Your Monster and Love Lies Bleeding. There will also be a special screening of the 2024 Oscar winner for Best Documentary Feature: 20 Days in Mariupol. The opening night film will be the documentary FRIDA, directed by Carla Gutiérrez, who was awarded the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award for U.S. Documentary.
A program of Mexican short films that have been presented over the years at Sundance Film Festival has been curated by the Sundance Programming team and will be showcased during the festival. The program is comprised of six titles, including Al Motociclista no le Cabe la Felicidad en su Traje (Fiction), La Odisea Espeleológica de Sócrates (Animation), Chica de Fábrica (Drama), among others.
“The selection of feature films we’ve invited to this first Sundance Film Festival CDMX is a bold, exciting group of discoveries from the Sundance Film Festival,” commented Eugene Hernandez, Director, Sundance Film Festival and Public Programming. “We know that Mexico City audiences will be moved, inspired, and entertained by the originality and creativity coming from a visionary group of new filmmakers. We can’t wait to gather together in Cinepolis cinemas next month to celebrate independent cinema – we hope to see you there!”
“The Sundance Film Festival CDMX 2024 goes beyond a showcase of films; it is a gathering point for creativity, innovation, and exploration in the world of independent cinema,” commented Alejandro Ramírez, Cinépolis CEO. “We are thrilled to bring this celebration of cinema to Mexico City and to provide a platform for filmmakers and audiences to engage in meaningful conversations about the power of film to inspire, educate, and transform.”
This program is set to be a can’t-miss event for ci