The 19th Annual Toronto After Dark Film Festival has officially announced its 2026 award winners, with Javier Ruiz Caldera’s time-loop film 5 More Minutes leading the pack.
The filmmaker reveals how a shared pair of earbuds inspired a Hitchcock-style chase, and how Japan’s meticulous production methods challenged his instincts for improvisation.
Like everything with WB and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune franchise, things are designed and presented with polished perfection. I do not believe we have highlighted any of the key art from the franchise in this column previously, though. So here we are, with this earth (sand) toned tack-sharp photographic series of posters from Concept Arts. No credit block, or even ‘above the line’ credits here. Just a release date, a reminder that it is in the IMAX format, and the promise that this is the last one, or in their parlance: “The Epic Conclusion.” The one thing that I have always admired about the reboot of Dune (and please do not laugh at my nerdiness here) is the fantastic typography design of the curves that spell the…
Returning to feature-film filmmaking after an altogether too long 18-year hiatus, writer-director Lance Hammer’s (Ballast) drama, Queen at Sea, revolves around an incredibly difficult, nearly impossible end-of-life decision. As Leslie’s (Anna Calder-Marshall) dementia robs her of her mind, memory, and identity, how much agency or autonomy should she continue to receive, whether from her loving husband, Martin (Tom Courteney), of almost 20 years, her daughter, Amanda (Juliette Binoche), a middle-aged professor on sabbatical, or the state’s relevant institutions, when, inevitably, they’re called upon to intervene on Leslie’s behalf and her best interests? From its first moments mirroring Freud’s primal scenes to its last devastating moments, that question hovers over Queen at Sea as it unfolds over several days, weeks, and months. For the…
In films like Meru and Free Solo, Jimmy Chin set a high bar for mountaineering documentaries. His latest, co-directed with Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, is an extremely challenging work that questions the very idea of climbing. Everest: The Other Side is pitched as a story about Jim Morrison’s attempt to be the first person to ski down from the summit of Everest. Morrison wants to ski the North Side, a steep rock face that narrows through two couloirs. He will be joined by his wife Hilaree Nelson, an elite climber. Since the North Face is in the Republic of China, the skiers have to run a gauntlet of political obstacles. Furthermore, they need a support team of Sherpas, cinematographers, doctors, logistics experts, and patrons. That’s on…
Samuel Fuller’s first three genre flicks, all independently produced, introduced an irascible, pungent cinematic voice.
Hitman Hank Carter is trying to save his marriage with the perfect family Christmas, unfortunately for him, a hit has been put on his head, and a gang of festive bounty hunters will stop at nothing to collect the payday.
A horror take on the classic tale. When cruel businessman Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by ghosts on Christmas Eve, he will have to decide whether to heed their warning to change for the better or remain cold-hearted and merciless.
Today sees the start of the largest Dutch genre film festival: Imagine. The Amsterdam-based festival is in its 42nd edition already, and this year they have a record 72 feature films and 55 shorts in their programme. From the 29th of October till the 8th of November, get ready for loads of horror, fantasy and science fiction. It’s where we get the first chance here of seeing Yeon Sang-ho’s Colony, and Na Hong-Jin’s Hope, and Yamazaki Takashi’s Godzilla Minus Zero, but also films like Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant by Sean Wallace and Jordan Dodson will be there… Check their full programme here, but I’m also going to point out a few more highlights below. Click on the sides of the picture to get the next…