Sundance Grants $120,000 to 12 Emerging Filmmakers

The Sundance Institute has announced the 10 projects chosen for the first-ever 2025 Sundance Institute Filmmakers Fund.

Backed by Chase Sapphire Reserve, the fund provides $120,000 grants to artists from diverse backgrounds creating feature films around the globe. This grant is a component of the Institute’s Artist Accelerator Program, designed to foster artist growth through extended fellowships, financial support, and continuous assistance for creators.

Candidates are chosen from the Feature Film Program, the Documentary Film Program, the Indigenous Program, Catalyst, the Artist Accelerator Program, and Ignite.

The 2025 recipients and their chosen projects include: Roni Jo Draper and Marissa Lila Kongao’s “We Arrive With Fire,” Chris Gris’ “Forward,” Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs’ “High Steel,” Masami Kawai’s “Valley of the Tall Grass,” Khaula Haider Malik’s “Alien Nation,” Mackie Mallison’s “Everything Must Go,” Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s “Jaripeo,” Steve Pargett’s “Black Out Dreams,” Huda Razzak’s “Home of Birds,” and Walter Thompson-Hernández’ “If I Go Will They Miss Me.”

Hajnal Molnar-Szakacs, who leads the Artist Accelerator Program and Women at Sundance Institute, commented on the collaboration, “We are excited to reveal the first recipients of the Sundance Institute Filmmakers Fund backed by Chase Sapphire Reserve. This alliance enables us to offer essential support to artists, encouraging them to make daring creative choices and share their impactful stories.”

She added, “These 10 initiatives reflect the variety, creativity, and artistic quality that lie at the core of the artists we back at Sundance Institute. We are very thankful to Chase Sapphire Reserve for aligning with our dedication to promoting independent perspectives and assisting us in creating a more dynamic future for storytelling.”

Tuesday, September 30

Erika Christensen and Penelope Ann Miller’s film ‘After All’ to Kick Off the SOHO International Film Festival

The SOHO International Film Festival will begin with the global debut of Kerstin Karlhuber’s film “After All,” featuring Erika Christensen, Penelope Ann Miller, Kiara Muhammad, Zach Gilford, Mike O’Malley, and David James Elliott.

As per the summary, the movie centers on “Ellen (Christensen), who goes back to her hometown to look after her distant, sick mother, Verna (Miller), and the young daughter she had left behind (Muhammad). As Verna’s condition worsens and hidden family secrets come to light, three generations of women face difficult realities, mend past hurts, and find happiness in each other as they rethink what it means to be a family.”

Presented by the SOHO Creative Lab Foundation, the 2025 initiative will feature over 130 films, with more than 115 being world premieres.

Other movies that premiered at the festival include the animated film “Flower of the Dawn,” the world premiere feature “A Farewell to Youth,” the series pilot “Books,” the documentary “Sanctuary,” the U.S. short film “Clementine,” and the world short film “Under the Northern Skies.”

The event will take place from October 7th through 13th at its new venue, Regal Square Union Square in New York City.

ICG Releases 63^rdAnnual Publicist Awards Voting Timeline Released

Publicity representatives from the International Cinematographers’ Guild, IATSE Local 600, have published its schedule for the 63rd.^rdAnnual Publicity Awards, set to take place on March 13, 2026 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Each year, the event recognizes publicists, unit still photographers, film and television publicity efforts, and entertainment journalists who have demonstrated exceptional achievements throughout the previous year.

The initial nomination results will be revealed on December 2, followed by the nominees for the television advertising campaign on December 10 and the nominees for the film advertising campaign on January 14. The final voting period ends on February 3.

Woodstock Film Festival Reveals “The Testament of Ann Lee” and “Dead Man’s Wire” as Films for Opening and Closing Nights, Uma Thurman Becomes Member of the Board of Directors

The Woodstock Film Festival has announced that Mona Fastvold’s “The Testament of Ann Lee” will open the event, while Gus Van Sant’s “Dead Man’s Wire” will serve as the closing night film. The 26th installment of the festival is scheduled to run from October 15 to October 19, with screenings held at various locations in Woodstock, Rosendale, Kingston, and Saugerties, New York.

We’re thrilled to close this year’s festival with two daring, thought-provoking features that reflect the strong independent essence that our audience appreciates,” said Meira Blaustein, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Woodstock Film Festival in a press release. “From Mona Fastvold’s personal perspective to Gus Van Sant’s bold reinterpretation, these movies encourage discussion even after the end credits.

Previously revealed films include Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly” as the main attraction for this year, along with Hikari’s “Rental Family,” Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” Joachim Trier’s “Sentimental Value,” and “Blue Moon” from Richard Linklater.

Besides the films shown on opening and closing nights, the Woodstock Film Festival has revealed that Uma Thurman (“Kill Bill,” “Dangerous Liaisons”) has become part of the festival’s board of directors. “The festival is pleased to welcome Uma as our latest board member and is excited about the opportunities coming up,” said Blaustein.

Friday, September 26

Liz Garbus to Be Honored with Camerimage Prize for Exceptional Directing

Camerimage will present director Liz Garbus with an award recognizing her exceptional work in documentary filmmaking at the 33rd EnergaCAMERIMAGE Festival in Toruń, Poland this November.

A two-time Emmy award winner and Oscar nominee, Garbus has created and directed compelling documentaries including “The Farm: Angola, USA,” “Bobby Fischer Against the World,” “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib,” “Love, Marilyn,” “What Happened, Miss Simone?,” and “Becoming Cousteau.” This year, she served as director for the true crime series “Gone Girls: The Long Island Serial Killer” on Netflix and “One Night in Idaho: The College Murders” on Amazon Prime Video. She also directed the 2020 film “Lost Girls” and contributed to episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Yellowjackets,” and “Good American Family.”

Regarded as a prominent figure in the realm of documentary filmmaking, Garbus remains active in directing and producing through her New York-based company, Story Syndicate.

The 33rd EnergaCAMERIMAGE event will occur from November 15 to 22 in the Kujawy Pomorze area of Toruń.

Monday, September 29

Forty-first Boston Film Festival Reveals 2025 Honor Recipients

The 41st Boston Film Festival has announced the recipients of its 2025 lineup, which aims to showcase a diverse array of films and talent spanning various genres and topics.

Hosted by the ad-free streaming service Kanopy, this year’s film festival included a red carpet event for filmmakers and celebrities, as the platform partnered with the festival to encourage students to explore, analyze, and appreciate the craft of filmmaking.

Audiences throughout Boston experienced a variety of premieres and showings that covered suspense, drama, historical narratives, and environmental storytelling. Notable events included the international premiere of the opening night film, “The Fallow Few.” The festival concluded with the world premiere of “Ambleside.”

Students at Emerson College also had the opportunity to watch a screening of the new Warner Bros. Television series “It: Welcome to Derry,” which included a panel conversation with production designer Paul Austerberry and costume designer Luis Sequeira, hosted by Mona Kosar Abdi from EXTRA. As part of their continued partnership with the Boston Film Festival, voice actor Eric Bauza was also part of the festival’s Animation Panel.

​​Ambleside” took the lead, securing six awards such as Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Director, Best Music, Best Actress, and Best Ensemble Cast. The Best Actor award went to Bradley James for his performance as Cpl. George Hansen in “The Fallow Few.” Best Actress was given to Ellie Bamber for her role as Lucy Gladwell in “Ambleside.

Winning the Best Documentary Film award was “Blue Zeus,” directed by Rocky Romano and Miranda Winters. The documentary “The Snake and the Whale,” directed by John Carlos Frey, received the EcoFilm designation, while “Hidden: The Kati Preston Story,” directed by Daniel Matmor, won the Mass Impact Award.

The complete list of award recipients is available on https://bostonfilmfestival.org/.

Skybound Entertainment and Regal Collaborate to Present Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza 2025

Skybound Entertainment has teamed up with Regal to present Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza 2025 in cinemas across the country from October 31 to November 2.

Presented by YouTubers Jaiden Animations and Ross O’Donovan, the 90-minute event blends ’70s and ’80s animation with humorous live-action segments and original short films. Skybound Entertainment received numerous short film submissions from artists throughout North America and chose 24 films to feature in the first three-day festival.

The shorts will include nostalgic 8-bit quests, balloon-shaped aliens with cosmic hunger, characters who spit mucus, zombies, skeletons dancing beneath a full moon, and gaming marathons.

The Spike and Mike’s Animation Extravaganza will feature the premieres of “Baloney Beacon,” “Beautiful Day,” “Danse Macabre,” “Debt & Misgivings,” “Detektive Thumb and the Infinity House,” “Doodlepops,” and “Heart-Ache,” along with other titles.

Tickets to the festival are currently available for purchase at REGmovies.com.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Reveals 2025 Gold Fellowship Awardees for Women

Alina Simone (“Black Snow”) and Marlén Viñayo (“Cachada: The Opportunity”) have been chosen as the winners of the 2025 Academy Gold Fellowship for Women, sponsored by Chanel. The Gold Fellowship for Women is a one-year initiative that offers support, individualized guidance, and networking access for up-and-coming female filmmakers. Each year, the fellowship is awarded to one filmmaker based in the U.S. and another from outside the U.S.

Promoting and motivating the next wave of international filmmakers is fundamental to the Academy’s purpose, and we are excited to carry on this initiative via the Gold Fellowship for Women. We deeply appreciate the generous backing from our partner Chanel, who aligns with our dedication to supporting skilled female filmmakers and creating access to impactful opportunities within the film industry,” stated Kim Taylor-Coleman, an Academy governor and president of the Academy Foundation Board.

Members will benefit from career growth assistance via the Academy Gold Alumni Network, offering ongoing access, professional development, and educational opportunities for graduates of the Academy’s talent cultivation programs.

The 2025 honorees were chosen from a list of six finalists.