ANTENNA DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FULL 2025 LINE-UP
6-16 February 2025 | Sydney

Antenna, Australia’s leading international non-fiction film festival, today unveils its full program for 2025. Featuring 50 of the most creative, thought-provoking documentaries from around the globe, over the course of 11 days, Antenna is set to turn Sydney into a doc-lovers' paradise from 6–16 February 2025.

“I am very proud of this lineup as a whole,” said Festival Director Dudi Rokach. “Each documentary is imaginative, cinematic, and provocative, and I believe together they demonstrate the endless potential of documentary cinema in the hands of a great filmmaker.”

Opening the festival is the Australian premiere of REAS, the second feature by acclaimed Argentine filmmaker Lola Arias. This documentary-musical hybrid follows cis and trans women reenacting their incarceration experiences through music and performance. Set in Buenos Aires' abandoned Caseros Prison, Reas transforms personal stories into a powerful act of reclamation.

Fresh from its world premiere at IDFA, Antenna will hold the Australian premiere of ABOUT A HERO, the groundbreaking debut feature by artist and filmmaker Piotr Winiewicz. The film delves into the intersection of artificial intelligence and human creativity, built around a script generated by an AI trained on the works of Werner Herzog. Blending fictional mystery with thought-provoking interviews from artists, philosophers, and scientists, About a Hero is an exploration of originality and authenticity in the age of AI.

In addition to showcasing emerging talent, Antenna will host the Australian premieres of groundbreaking works by acclaimed directors. Among them is SEPARATED by legendary filmmaker Errol Morris, which probes one of the darkest chapters in recent American history—family separations at the US-Mexico border; APOCALYPSE IN THE TROPICS, Petra Costa’s follow-up to her Oscar-nominated The Edge of Democracy, examining the growing influence of evangelical leaders over Brazilian politics and the chilling rise of the far right; and two parts of the monumental trilogy YOUTH by visionary filmmaker Wang Bing, chronicling the lives of young migrant textile workers in Zhili, China.

Other International Highlights:

• CONFESSIONS OF A GOOD SAMARITAN - Director and festival guest Penny Lane’s decision to become a ‘Good Samaritan’ by giving one of her kidneys to a stranger turns into a funny and moving personal quest to understand the nature of altruism.
   
• HOMEGROWN – This gripping film follows three alt-right activists during 2020 as they fervently campaign for Trump and lead street protests over alleged election fraud. Homegrown offers a chilling portrait of a movement driving American democracy to the edge.
   
• UNION – A powerful Sundance winner, Union chronicles a group of Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York, as they take on one of the world’s most powerful corporations. The film captures their unprecedented and courageous fight to unionise their warehouse, revealing the personal and collective stakes at play.
   
• THE WHITE HOUSE EFFECT – Told entirely through archival material, The White House Effect reveals the dramatic origin story of the climate crisis and the political battles that shaped it during the George H.W. Bush administration.
   
• LOOK INTO MY EYES &n

Among the batch of ten 2025 U.S. Dramatic Competition offerings we find the likes of actress Hailey Gates’ feature debut Atropia – produced by Luca Guadagnino (she can be seen in this year’s Challengers), we find Katarina Zhu’s Bunnylovr – a project that was selected for this year’s U.S in Progress and Pastel’s Adele Romanski, Mark Ceryak, Barry Jenkins got behind Sorry, Baby – from Eva Victor.

The long-awaited film by Flora Lau (LUX), Chloé Robichaud‘s take on a Quebec classic (1970’s Deux Femmes en or) in Two Women, Vladimir de Fontenay‘s sophomore feature Sukkwan Island and Argentina filmmaker Laura Casabé‘s thriller The Virgin of Quarry Lake (written by Benjamin Naishtat) are among the ten films selected for the World Cinema Dramatic Comp.

Saturday night Key West Film Festival celebrated our filmmakers and special guests in a joyful Awards Ceremony at The Studios of Key West. Thanks to Matt Hauser for hosting the evening, and congratulations to the KWFF 2024 Golden Key and Golden Conch Award Winners! 

GOLDEN KEY AWARDS

Excellence in Costume Design - Danny Glicker

Emerging Talent - Delaney Buffett

GOLDEN CONCH AWARDS

Best Narrative Film
THE FIRE INSIDE - Rachel Morrison

KWFF Critics Award
FLOW - Gints Zilbalodis

KWFF Critics Award (Special Mention)
ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT - Payal Kapadia

Best Documentary Feature
MEN OF WAR - Billy Corben and Jen Gatien

Best LGBTQ Feature
A NICE INDIAN BOY - Roshan Sethi

Best Florida Feature
MUD KEY - Coley Sohn

Best Foreign Language Feature
FLOW - Gints Zilbalodis

Best Dramatic Short Film
HARLEM FRAGMENTS - Cameron Tyler Carr (Produced by Salma Qarnain)

Best Comedy Short Film
ENDZGIVING - Tina Carbone

Best Documentary Short Film
NOT ROD - Becca Greene and Alex Pollack

Best Florida Short Film 
EL REGGAETONERO - Eddy Moon

Kimberly Peirce Scholarship for Student Filmmakers (presented by the King Family Foundation)

Best World Student Filmmaker Short Film
SPECIAL DELIVERY - Emily Everhard

Best Florida Student Filmmaker Short Film
Y TU QUE HAS HECHO - Paolo Cesti

ABOUT THE KEY WEST FILM FESTIVAL
Honoring creativity, diversity, sustainability and beauty, The Key West Film Festival is an annual celebration of film and filmmakers set to take place November 13-17, 2024. A diverse, entertaining and artistically rigorous selection of films will be represented through a broad array of categories that offer opportunities for filmmakers, both aspiring and established, to commune and exchange ideas while showing their work to audiences in an historic and artistically vibrant tropical paradise.  

For more information, visit our website: https://keywestff.com
Follow and tag us at : @keywestfilmfest #kwff2024  

Blitz (Steve McQueen, 2024) 3½ out of 5 stars In Blitz, British director Steve McQueen (Widows) places us in the middle of the eponymous Nazi campaign of bombings over the city of London (from September, 1940, to May, 1941). He centers the narrative on a mother and son, Rita and George, played respectively by Saoirse […]

Celebrated truly indie-focused film festival will feature 77 Feature-length Narrative and Documentary films, Pilots and Shorts making World, North American, and US Premieres. Evan Oppenheimer’s PEAS AND CARROTS makes its World Premiere as the Opening Night selection, and Christina Elioupolos’ HERE’S YIANNI! is the Closing Night selection.

Photo: Peas and Carrots

Dances With Films announced the film lineup for the 3rd New York City edition of the bicoastal film festival juggernaut. December 5-8 will be packed with an incredible number of feature-length narratives, documentaries, pilots, and shorts making their world, North American, and US premieres as DWF showcases those new works as part of the only indie film-focused film festival with a foothold in both Los Angeles and The Big Apple. Evan Oppenheimer’s Peas and Carrots makes its world premiere on Opening Night, and Christina Elioupolos’ Here’s Yianni! is the Closing Night selection.

Among DWF NYC’s lineup of 141 films, including 22 narrative and midnight features, 9 documentary features, 18 television and streaming pilots, and 92 short films (76 combined narrative and midnight, with 16 documentaries). More than half of this year’s DWF NYC presentation will be making their world, North American or US premieres during the ambitious four-day film event in December. All screenings will take place at Regal Union Square (850 Broadway).

In addition to Oppenheimer’s Peas and Carrots, additional feature length films making their world premieres are Liam Le Guillou’s A Cursed Man, Victoria Kupchinetsky’s Calico Rebellion, Jason Mendoza’s Good Friday, Bari King’s Itch!, Mikaela Shwer’s The Kids Are Not Alright, Dom Cutrupi’s Lola Dust, William Tyler Wiseman’s Moonwater, Paul Bickel’s One Happy Place, Jarrett Jung’s Sergeant Pickle Breath And The Rooftop Warriors, and Kristen Hansen’s Sonny Boy. Andrew Bell’s Bleeding, and Howard Goldberg’s Double Exposure will make their North American Premieres, and Nicola Rose’s Magnetosphere will make its US Premiere at DWF NYC.

Pilots for TV and streaming series making their world premieres, include Sergio Camacho’s United Crafts Of America, Victoria Myers’ A Legend Is Hatched: I Become Famous... In My Own Mind, Lucy Hirschfeld’s Dropped, Christine Lakin’s The Fun In Funny, Christopher Gerson and Julie Kramer’s Gasbag, Dan Jones’ Hive, Olivia Lambert’s Like Comment Subscribe, Serena Schuler’s Makeshift Society, Karl Janisse’s Passage, Ana Breton’s Rat Czar, and Ruthie Marantz’s Raging Doll. 

Cited by Moviemaker Magazine as one of the 2024 “Coolest Film Festivals” in the world, Dances With Films’ rapid growth in New York City along with its current place as L.A.’s top film festival for platforming truly independent filmmaking, makes DWF the only film festival organization offering “discovery” titles in major film festival events in both of those

International Newcomer Award goes to ›Manas‹, a feminist drama from Brazil‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

›Manas‹ by Marianna Brennand received the 30,000-euro International Newcomer Award for the best film in competition. +++ The 15,000-euro Rainer Werner Fassbinder Award for the best screenplay went to Sarah Friedland for ›Familiar Touch‹. +++ Laura Weissmahr received the 10,000-euro Young Actors Award for her role in ›Salve Maria‹. +++ The Young Jury also honoured ›Manas‹ with the Student Award, valued at 5,000 euros. +++ ›Bound in Heaven‹ by Huo Xin received the Ecumenical Jury Award of 2,500 euros. Christopher Andrews’ ›Bring Them Down‹ was honoured with the FIPRESCI Award. +++ The Audience Award of 5,000 euros went to ›Across the Sea‹ by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi.

 

 

›Manas‹ © Bendita Film Sales

 

 

Read more Cairo Film Festival Reignites Arab Cinema Through Increased Support and Prizes Cairo Film Festival Reignites Arab Cinema Through Increased Support and Prizes Rick W / Sunday, November 10, 2024 0 38 by Kate Elfatah The Cairo International Film Festival (CIFF) is once again dedicated to Arab cinema and announces that it will provide more funds and artistic representation for producers in its 45th edition from November 13th to 22nd. CIFF this year is not only presenting more Arab films, it’s also dramatically broadening the channels through which filmmakers can find attention and support. New Opportunities for Arab Cinema Prizes: A Revolution in Awards? As a powerful solidarity gesture, CIFF is introducing “Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards” where $25,000 in prize money will be distributed across five categories — Best Film, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor, and Best Actress. This welcome news acknowledges the emerging global reach and craft of Arab filmmakers. CIFF President Hussein Fahmy: Arab Talent’s Champion “We’re eager to provide enough space to accommodate every piece of filmmaking and creativity in the Arab World,” says CIFF President Hussein Fahmy. He stresses the festival’s focus on Arab film across all genres and in initiatives such as the Cairo Film Connection, which has supported dozens of projects over the years. Fahmy lauds the “good movies” and “big developments in cinema-related technologies” propelling the Arab cinema revival that is unfolding today. CIFF Director Essam Zakaria: Expanding Opportunity and Exposure CIFF Director Essam Zakaria describes the festival’s commitment to capturing “high geographical variety in Arab Cinema Production”. All Arab films in the festival this year, both in the International Competition and the International Critics Week Competition, are eligible for the Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards. This broad definition guarantees a “just opportunity of submission and voting” for every Arab filmmaker. Cairo Film Connection: A Decade of Helping Arab Filmmakers. Such commitment to Arab cinema is further illustrated by the Cairo Film Connection (CFC), now in its 10th year. The CFC announced a plethora of 18 post-production and development projects from 10 Arab countries. It offers critical support, guidance, and networking to young and seasoned filmmakers in the Arab world. Kate Elftatah of Indie Entertainment Media will be covering CIFF in 2024 With its greater dedication to Arab cinema, diverse programming, and the revolutionary new Horizons of Arab Cinema Awards, the 45th Cairo International Film Festival promises to be a landmark event. IEM will be there bringing you all the movies, panels, and parties. Learn more about Cairo International Film Festival HERE.   Read more SCURRY Scares Up Global Distribution SCURRY Scares Up Global Distribution Rick W / Wednesday, November 6, 2024 0 44 Film Mode Entertainment and Sparke Films Announce the AFM Market Premiere Screening, a Full House of Distribution News and Audience Choice Awards for Horror Film, SCURRY Starring Jamie Costa (Kenobi: A Star Wars Story, Bring Him To Me) and Emalia (Paper Dolls)   Clay Epstein’s Film Mode Entertainment and Luke Sparke’s Sparke Films announce the AFM market premiere screening and a full house of sales and distribution news with multiple awards for the horror film, Scurry. The movie stars Jamie Costa (Kenobi: A Star Wars Story, Bring Him To Me) and Emalia (Paramount+ Paper Dolls). Scurry was written by Tom Evans (Bring Him To Me), directed by Luke Sparke (Occupation, Occupation Rainfall), and has recently been completed and made its world festival premieres in Australia to high acclaim.  “We’re thrilled to further our relationship with one of the most talented and prolific filmmakers working today.  Luke is a visionary who brings films to the marketplace that audiences all around the world crave, and Scurry is scaring up new fans every day.” Said Epstein   Scurry Scores Big Sales In addition to Australia and New Zealand, which was picked up by Umbrella Entertainment, sales for Scurry include Dimension Pictures (India), Eagle Films (Middle East), Media4Fun (Poland), Pioneer Films (Philippines), Signature Entertainment (United Kingdom), and Splendid Film (Benelux, Germany). Film Mode Entertainment is fielding multiple offers from remaining territories. “It’s been fantastic to see the early response from festival audiences who have gotten a sneak peek at this unique film. It’s a tightly wound film that we are excited to screen to further buyers and bring it to wide audiences as soon as we can.” Said producers Carly Sparke and Carmel Imrie. Scurry's AFM market premiere screening took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. at the Brenden Theater 12. Additional screenings TBA and by appointment with Film Mode. In Scurry, the city is under attack by a monstrous threat. Two strangers find themselves trapped below ground during the chaos. Badly injured and with limited resources, they must navigate a treacherous, narrowing tunnel in hopes of finding an exit before they bleed out. Fear and desperation consume them as the threat closes in and they soon discover they have more to fear than each other.   Scurry: The Audience’s Choice - What People Are Saying Scurry made its festival world premiere in September at the 2024 Sydney Science Fiction Film Festival and won the Audience Choice. “The Closing Night World Premiere of Luke Sparke's Scurry has proven the festival's ultimate crowd pleaser, with the dramatic thriller taking [the] 2024 Ion Sci-Fi Audience Award,” said festival directors. It was also an official selection at Monster Fest in October.  FilmInk called the film “fun” adding it was a “creature feature with suspenseful moments and…nice, dark twists to keep audiences engaged.”  Scurry was shot in Queensland, Australia at the Sparke Films studio on the Gold Coast, in ‘real-time’. Coming off of the global success of the Occupation Rainfall franchise and Sparke’s new feature film Bring Him To Me along with a multi-picture deal between Film Mode and Sparke Films, Scurry is set to thrill to the international marketplace and gl Read more RSS Load next 10 article(s) (102 left)Loading...