Easy as sausage? Taste the complex flavours of German film production!
Just as German Films celebrates its 70 anniversary, Redmond Bacon surveys the international outlook of German cinema at the Industry@Tallinn and Baltic Event; he uncovers a prolific industry, innovative co-productions, large tax rebates, and... abundant red tape! [Read More...]

The young, the bold and the beautiful
On the ground at the 28th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Redmond Bacon looks at the picture of state funding for Europe's young and emerging talent, and reveals the best springboards for their gorgeous and audacious creations [Read More...]

The place where all genres meet!
Just as he prepares to attend the next edition of the Industry@Tallinn & Baltic Event, Redmond Bacon dissects the European Genre Forum, while also identifying some exciting new trends  [Read More...]

The 75th Locarno Film Festival: dark films for dark times
Dirty gem of a movie from Brazil takes home the top prize at the 75th Locarno Film Festival - a beam of optimism during an otherwise sullen programme [Read More...]

Tales of the Purple House (Hikayat elbeit elorjowani)
An epic documentary that's both video essay and panoramic portrait of Lebanon in decline, this is a massive lost opportunity — live from Locarno! [Read More...]

Safe Place (Sigurno mjesto)
A suicide drama that's unafraid to look tragedy directly in the eye, this is an unrelenting yet startling experience — live from Locarno. [Read More...]

Fragments From Heaven
This enigmatic Moroccan documentary takes us on a quest through the desert to understand the origins of human life — live from Locarno Film Festival. [Read More...]

Before I Change My Mind
This sensitive Canadian non-binary coming-of-age story is pleasant enough, but it's unlikely to make any serious impact — live from Locarno. [Read More...]

Rule 34 (Regra 34)
A fun exploration of the connection between sex and law, pleasure and pain, Rule 34 is a sexy and smart Brazilian film - live from Locarno. [Read More...]

Sermon to The Fish (Balıqlara xütbə)
A study of life after war, Sermon to The Fish boasts technically stunning visuals but is in service of an emotionally inert story — live from Locarno. [Read More...]

Astrakan
This miserablist French coming-of-age story has a lot of craft, but is in the service of an irredeemable storyline — live from Locarno [Read More...]

Arnold Is a Model Student (Arnon pen nakrian tuayang)
This delightful and odd school-set Thailand satire asks if the revolution is even worth it — live from Locarno Film Festival 2022. [Read More...]

Fairytale (Skazka)
Dictators collide in this legendary Russian director's late period animation, equal parts beguiling and compelling — live from Locarno Film Festival [Read More...]

Declaration (Ariyippu)
This Indian Covid-set immigrant factory drama shows how the coronavirus pandemic doesn't affect everyone equally — live from Locarno Film Festival. [Read More...]

What to Look Out for at the 75th Locarno Film Festival
A mixture of arthouse and Hollywood efforts characterise a diverse programme at the 75th Locarno Film Festival — we look at the films to put on your radar. [Read More...]

Traffic and tragedy: 21st Transylvania International Film Festival round-up
Our critic's time in Cluj-Napoca offered a serendipitous combination of location and venue, offering a balm in difficult times [Read More...]

Babysitter
This Quebecois tale of toxic masculinity feels as unwanted as the acts it tries to make fun of — live from Transylvania International Film Festival. [Read More...]

Inferno Rosso: Joe D’Amato on the Road to Excess (Inferno Rosso: Joe D’Amato Sullva Via Dell’eccesso)
More of a DVD supplement than a genuine film, horror and porn director Joe D'Amato is given a tribute that is only skin deep — live from Transylvania [Read More...]

Beautiful Beings
This moody, sensitive portrayal of Icelandic youth in the 90s is a difficult yet tender portrait of teen vulnerability — live from TIFF Romania [Read More...]

The Execution (Kazn)
An unpredictable and dark serial killer drama, this Russian film plunges us straight into the Soviet heart of darkness — live from TIFF. [Read More...]

The Balcony Movie (Film balkonowy)
The whole world is revealed to us from the smallest possible corner in this glorious Polish documentary — live from TIFF. [Read More...]

The Hole (Il Buco)
This descent into the third deepest cave in the world is a mesmeric cinematic experience — live from Transylvania Film Festival. [Read More...]

How I Learned To Fly (Leto kada sam naucila da letim)
A lightweight comedy tackling serious themes in Balkan history, this is a film perfect for introducing children to the 90s conflict - live from Transylvania [Read More...]

Piggy (Cerdita)
This exceptionally mean-spirited Spanish horror about an obese teenager and her crush on a serial killer is an absolute blast - in cinemas Friday, January 6th [Read More...]

Amira
This powerful Palestinian family drama asks deep questions about the true meaning of home — live from Transilvania International Film Festival. [Read More...]

The 21st Transylvania Film Festival implores us to make films, not war
The heart of the Romanian film calendar, the Transylvania Film Festival offers an exciting selection of first and second features, while also making a powerful anti-war statement [Read More...]

The Natural History of Destruction
This exhaustive archival documentary asks if the price of winning a war is ever worth the cost — live from Cannes Film Festival! [Read More...]

Sick of Myself
From the producers of The Worst Person in the World comes a superior Oslo-set tale, pushing narcissism to its limits - on BFI Player and also on Curzon Home Cinema on Monday, July 3rd [Read More...]

The Woodcutter Story
This typically Finnish tale ticks all the boxes of the national spirit, but failed to lift mine - from the 66th BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

The Great Movement (El Gran Movimiento)
Modern civilisation and simplicity come into conflict in this ambitious Bolivian city-symphony - on VoD on Monday, May 30th [Read More...]

The Munich Film Festival is leading Germany’s diversity charge
Representation in German film is sorely lacking. Munich Film Festival's Seeing and being seen: Representation in Film is here in order to change just that! [Read More...]

The ugly face of female violence, from the horse’s mouth
Inspired by producer Bayan Maxatkyzy's own brutal experience, Kazakh drama Happiness takes an unflinching look at life under shocking misogyny; Redmond Bacon analyses the film while also interviewing the woman behind it [Read More...]

The weakest Berlinale I’ve ever attended announces its winners…
Too many middling Franco-German productions soured the party over at the Berlinale Film Festival, resulting in a very poor line-up; and the dirtiest filmmaker left empty-handed! [Read More...]

The Novelist’s Film (So-seol-ga-ui yeong-hwa)
The Korean master of self-exploration returns with almost exactly the same film you would expect him to - Silver Bear winner at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival [Read More...]

Leonora Addio
Italian-American relationships and the legacy of war and literature intermingle in this mixture of essay and narrative filmmaking - live from the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival [Read More...]

That Kind of Summer (Un Été Comme Ça)
The latest from the prolific Quebec filmmaker, set in a retreat for sex addiction, is a rigorous step up from his last few films, but lacks true engagement - live from the Berlinale [Read More...]

Passengers of The Night (Les passagers de la nuit)
A sweet portrait of a family during the Mitterand era, made with great affection and nostalgia, playing now in the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

One Year, One Night (Un año, una noche)
This Spanish-French production looking at the Bataclan attacks is an important story, but it lacks conviction in its evocation of trauma. [Read More...]

A E I O U – A Quick Alphabet of Love (A E I O U – Das schnelle Alphabet der Liebe)
A guide to romance, German-style, this is a pleasant enough take on spring-autumn romance with a few fun tricks up its sleeve — live from Berlin! [Read More...]

Return to Dust (Yin Ru Chen Yan)
A simple, gorgeous and devastating tale set in the parts of China seemingly forgotten by the central government - live from Berlin! [Read More...]

Both Sides of the Blade (Avec Amour et Acharnement)
Even the beautiful Juliette Binoche can't save this letdown from one of the world's greatest directors - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Rabiye Kurnaz vs. George W. Bush (Rabiye Kurnaz gegen George W. Bush)
Expect this Turkish-German comedy to be a domestic hit, with potential international resonance - live from the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival! [Read More...]

Before, Now & Then (Nana)
A modest yet highly stylised drama, this Indonesian film seeks to illuminate the nuances of the feminine experience - live from Berlin! [Read More...]

Everything Will Be Ok
The latest visual essay by acclaimed Cambodian documentary filmmaker is typically beautiful but ultimately inconclusive — live from Berlin! [Read More...]

Rimini
The great Austrian director Ulrich Seidl returns with another masterpiece, a character portrait of a man simply too big for one film to contain - on VoD on Monday, September 4th [Read More...]

Flux Gourmet
Noise meets food in this culinary British comedy, using a horror-aesthetic while hanging out in a strange fantasy world - now on all major VoD platforms [Read More...]

The Line (La Ligne)
A painted line separates mother and daughter in this touching French-Swiss domestic drama — live from Berlin Film Festival. [Read More...]

Robe of Gems (Manto de Gema)
Fine filmmaking can't save an indecipherable plot in this ultimately disengaging Mexican drama - live from 72nd Berlin International Film Festival [Read More...]

Peter von Kant
Francois Ozon's male version of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant never justifies its own existence, either as a remake or as a portrait of Rainer Werner Fassbinder himself - on all major VoD platforms on Monday, February 6th [Read More...]

Bringing in the big hitters: a preview of this year’s Berlinale
New films from Claire Denis, Hong Sang-soo and Ulrich Seidl characterise a heavy-hitting Berlinale competition - find out more! [Read More...]

Inner Wars
The Donbass war is seen from a women's point of view in this affecting documentary portrait of working in an endless war zone - watch it online for during the entire month of December only with ArteKino [Read More...]

Estonian Dispatch: The First Feature Competition Round-Up
A dark and damp November is once again spiced up by a fantastic First Feature Selection at Tallinn Film Festival. Here's our verdict! [Read More...]

Zuhal
Turkish comedy with shades of Murakami uses a lost cat to explore contemporary Turkish society — live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival! [Read More...]

Alice, Through the Looking: À la recherche d’un lapin perdu (In Search of a Lost Rabbit)
British cinema gets an injection of French philosophy in this bizarre, meandering, metafictional post-Brexit extravaganza [Read More...]

Her Way (Une femme du monde)
Veteran theatre, TV and film actress Laure Calamy is finely directed in this powerful debut film exploring the cross-border German-French sex work industry - live from Tallinn! [Read More...]

Feature Film About Life (Ilgo metro filmas apie gyvenimą)
A young woman is suddenly thrust into adulthood in this bittersweet reflection on life and death - expanding the auto-fiction form in novel ways. [Read More...]

The Red Tree (El árbol rojo)
This Colombian road trip is both an exploration of nation and character, a modest yet touching drama — live from Tallinn Film Festival! [Read More...]

Immersion (Inmersión)
This Chilean drama is the kind of well-made thriller that makes you think while you squirm — live from Tallinn Film Festival. [Read More...]

Dozens of Norths (Ikuta no Kita)
The long-awaited first feature from a legend of Japanese animation, this trip through the darkest places on earth more than meets expectation. [Read More...]

Memoria
One of the 21st century's greatest directors returns with, unsurprisingly, another masterful work of slow cinema - now on various VoD platforms [Read More...]

The Score
Watching this film is like being promised a gourmet steak but the food arrives late and straight out of the microwave. [Read More...]

Blind Love
This impressive Kenyan debut explores magic and alcoholism in fascinating ways — straight from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

Life Suits Me Well (La vie me va bien)
A touching portrait of mental deterioration and its effect on family in 1990s Morocco. Live from the Tallinn Film Festival! [Read More...]

Other Cannibals (Altri Cannibali)
The spirit of Ben Wheatley is transplanted to South Tyrol in this effective horror-comedy blend - live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

Other People (Inni ludzie)
A panoramic portrait of Polish life is provided in this epic hip-hop opera, showing off the storytelling possibilities of the rap form. [Read More...]

Precious Ivie (Ivie wie Ivie)
The Afro-German experience is captured with great sensitivity in this must-watch drama debut — live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

Who is Sleeping in Silver Grey (Bai tian zong shi tai guo man cahng)
Beautiful yet baffling, this Chinese arthouse film is a transportive yet frustrating experience — live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival! [Read More...]

Troubled Minds (Nemierīgie prāti)
Two brothers bristle against in each other in both life and work in this searching yet surprisingly touching art-world satire. [Read More...]

Dark Heart of the Forest (Le coeur noir des forêts
The woods is a breeding ground for new potential in this moody Belgian drama — live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

Tenzin
A character study of a Tibetan exile in Canada is rich in philosophy while ultimately lacking a sense of dramatic conviction. [Read More...]

Occupation (Okupace)
Czechoslovakian-Soviet relations are bitterly investigated in this taut black comedy thriller — live from Tallinn Film Festival. [Read More...]

The Radio Amateur (El radioaficionado)
A man with autism finds his mental difficulties come under great strain in this touching seaside drama from the Basque region. [Read More...]

The Cloud & The Man (Manikbabur Megh)
This whimsical Indian tale explores man's desire to break free from everyday monotony in surprising and strange ways. [Read More...]

All Sorts
The banality and beauty of office work expertly intertwines in this absurdist filing competition comedy - from the Raindance Film Festival [Read More...]

Hostile
Dirty doc interrogates the inhumane immigration policies by successive British governments, providing a scathing look at British racism - on BFI Player on Thursday, July 14th [Read More...]

First-time directors: the nascent talent set to shine next month in Tallinn!
Ahead of the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn between November 12th and 28th, we survey the return of the excellent first feature competition [Read More...]

Walking with Peter Greenaway — exclusive work-in-progress report
We bring you one of the first-look reports from Peter Greenaway's latest film WALKING TO PARIS, screened secretly at Locarno, with the official premiere still to be confirmed [Read More...]

Locarno Film Festival 2021: a terrific Ticinese time
This year's incarnation of the Ticinese festival served up a fascinating selection of both auteur and genre works. This critic had a great time. [Read More...]

Wet Sand
This queer Georgian drama takes an iceberg approach to narrative, resulting in an affecting portrait of living under repression - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Streams
Starting off slowly before growing into a masterful work, this Tunisian movie is one of the standout films from the Locarno Film Festival. [Read More...]

Zeros and Ones
The latest from the legendary New York auteur is a very moody spy thriller that barely ever seems to come out from the cold - on all major VoD platforms on Monday, March 21st [Read More...]

Our dirty questions to Abel Ferrara
Just as he launches his pandemic thriller ZEROS AND ONES, the king of New York brings down the eternal city - read our exclusive interview conducted at the Locarno Film Festival [Read More...]

Juju Stories
This collection of magical tales shows off the breadth, humour and vitality of Nigerian cinema - from the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

Mostro
Blending experimental abstraction with neorealist drama, we witness the brutal dehumanisation of everyday youth in modern Mexico - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Luzifer
Neither flat-out horror or compelling arthouse drama, this Austrian film fails to properly evoke the terror of the devil - from Locarno [Read More...]

The Sacred Spirit (Espíritu sagrado)
This cautionary tale of believing in conspiracy theories is greatly abetted by a strong aesthetic and some eye-catching imagery - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Cop Secret
This unevenly plotted Icelandic cop action-comedy has laughs galore, a great villain and an affirming message at its heart - from the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

FIRST TIME [The Time for All but Sunset – VIOLET]
Arthouse drama expertly uses a circle train in Hamburg to represent the painful feeling of romantic tension - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Medea
A modern myth for the Russian expat generation, this film excels due to the great command of tone by actress Tinatin Dalakishvili - live from Locarno [Read More...]

The Giants (I giganti)
Evoking Beckett and Pirandello, this Italian chamber piece depicting an endless binge fails to mark its mark as a compelling piece of existential fiction - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Locarno 2021 preview: a return to the magic of in-person discovery
After a year break, the return of an in-person Locarno has this critic feeling both excited and a tad trepidatious. Read our preview now! [Read More...]

Framed
A photographer gets more than he bargained for in this effective riff on Hitchcock's REAR WINDOW - watch it now on Amazon Prime [Read More...]

P is for painting, P is for puzzle; P is for Peter Greenaway
As part of our Peter Greenaway special series, our writer Redmond Bacon discusses the intimate connection between cinema and painting [Read More...]

Stop-Zemlia
The flush of first love is excellently rendered in this touching Ukrainian coming-of-age drama - live from Berlin [Read More...]

Censor
British horror expertly recreates the video nasties of the '80s, as well as the moral prudity of the time, weaving them into an effective gore-fest - on VoD on Sunday, October 31st [Read More...]

Cryptozoo
Legendary animals are hunted as weapons in this endlessly inventive American animation with gorgeously arresting visuals - from the Berlinale [Read More...]

All Eyes Off Me (Mishehu Yohav Mishehu)
A fascinating portrait of Israeli youth, the film splits into three distinct parts to cleverly bring into question the power of sexual liberation - from the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival [Read More...]

The Scary of Sixty-First
This shallow American horror film delving into the world of conspiracy theories is deeply hampered by student-level acting - from the Berlinale [Read More...]

The World After Us (Le monde après nous)
The story of a writer as a young man is excellently compressed into a sleek 84 minutes in this affecting French film - from the Berlinale [Read More...]

Brother’s Keeper (Okul Tıraşı)
A boarding school turns into a type of colonial prison in this tastefully told East Turkey-set moral fable - from the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival [Read More...]

Language Lessons
This delightful two-hander written by Mark Duplass is proof that just because your film is told remotely, you don't have to skimp on quality - from the Berlinale [Read More...]

Dirty Feathers
A gorgeous portrait of life on the margins, this observational doc strikes us with both its directness and poetry — live from Berlin Film Festival [Read More...]

We (Nous)
This panoramic vision of banlieue life shows off the diversity of French metropolitan life, but lacks a central focus - from the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

Ivana the Terrible
A filmmaker returns to her hometown playing herself in this grand experiment that blends the best of Abbas Kiarostami and Woody Allen - watch it in December for free with ArteKino [Read More...]

Son of Sofia (O gios tis Sofias)
A Russian boy is forced to adapt to a new Greek reality in this surreal and haunting fairy tale set during the 2004 Olympics - watch it in December for free with ArteKino [Read More...]

Stars Await Us
A Chinese man in Siberia searches for his long-lost girlfriend in this slow, epic drama — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Parquet (Parket)
Everything plays out on the dancefloor in this intense drama exploring lost youth — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

The light shines on first-time directors!
After providing the landscape for the blockbuster of the year, the Estonian capital sees an impressive selection of 21 debut feature films vie for three major prizes - Redmond Bacon reports live from the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival [Read More...]

Ultrainnocence (Ultrainocencia)
Two lab rats try and find the meaning of life in this bizarre sci-fi comedy from Spain — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Black Milk (Schwarze Milch)
Germany and Mongolia clash in this heartfelt and searching nomad-based drama — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

The Penultimate (Den næstsidste)
A deep dive into the darkest side of the human soul, this is a difficult yet rewarding experience — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Great Happiness
The longest film in the First Feature Competition is also the best film. This epic of the human heart is filled with bittersweet wisdom — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

As Far as I Know (Legjobb tudomásom szerint)
A shocking event provides a bitter rift between a married couple expecting a baby in this psychological drama — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Kindred
This devilishly entertaining horror-thriller boasts three great central performances from Tamara Lawrence, Jack Lowdon and Fiona Shaw — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Fortuna – The Girl and the Giants (Fortuna)
Fantasy and reality collide to chilling effect in this moving Italian arthouse drama — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Why Not You (Hochwald)
Austrian conservatism, Italian style and religious fundamentalism clash in this Bataclan attack-inspired drama — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Goodbye Soviet Union (Hüvasti, NSVL)
This nostalgic and bittersweet look at life behind the Iron Curtain radiates with charm — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

The Enemies (Doshmanan)
This melancholy Iranian portrait of middle aged loneliness is full of questions and no easy answers — playing at Tallinn Film Festival. [Read More...]

The Translator
An interpreter has to find his own voice in this gripping Syrian thriller — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

The Flood
The aboriginal people of Australia strike back in this Django Unchained-inspired Western — live from Tallinn Film Festival [Read More...]

Sententia (Sentensia)
A slow and studied Russian arthouse drama charting the last days of Soviet poet Varlam Shalamov — live from Tallinn. [Read More...]

Tailor (Raftis)
This gentle Greek tale reminds us that it's never too late to reinvent yourself — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Model Olimpia (Modell Olimpia)
A mother and son relationship unlike any other is presented in this carefully controlled and strange German film — live from Tallinn! [Read More...]

Black Light (Bit-Gwa Cheol)
A slippery investigation into the truth of a haunting accident, this Korean melodrama fails to provoke emotion — live from Tallinn [Read More...]

Madly in Life (Une Vie Démente)
The complexity of living with dementia is expertly caught in this bittersweet drama-comedy — live from Tallinn! [Read More...]

25 Years of Innocence. The Case of Tomek Komenda (25 lat niewinności. Sprawa Tomka Komendy)
Based on a true story, a man is wrongfully imprisoned in this dark yet hopeful Polish prison drama — live from Tallinn! [Read More...]

Poppy Field (Mooniväli)
A gay police officer in Romania has to contend with the different parts of his personality in this thrilling drama - from BFI Flare [Read More...]

Karnawal
The family drama meets the crime thriller in this gritty Argentinean film, inspired by the native Molumbo dance — live from Tallinn. [Read More...]

Should the Wind Drop (Si le Vent Tombe)
Timely Armenian drama set in the disputed region of Nagorno-Karabakh uses a prospective airport as a metaphor for freedom — live from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival [Read More...]

Enfant Terrible
The life of Rainer Werner Fassbinder is given the Brechtian treatment in this Cannes-selected film - on BFI Player on Friday, April 2nd [Read More...]

Longing Souls (El Alma Quiere Volar)
Colombian kitchen sink drama is invigorated with a quirky eye for detail - female-led debut feature premieres at the from Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

The Body Fights Back
Our paradoxical relationship with food is deftly explored in this British-Estonian documentary - live from the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival. [Read More...]

No Hard Feelings (Futur Drei)
Refreshing, intersectional queer coming-of-age tale investigates Germany's failure to integrate second- and third-generation "foreigners" - on Digital on Monday, December 7th [Read More...]

Luxor
Luxor-iate in the gorgeous settings of this travelogue film, boasting a fine performance from British actress Andrea Riseborough - on Sky Cinema and NOW on Wednesday, June 23rd [Read More...]

Cordelia
Psycho-sexual thriller drapes British national trauma within a neo-noir setting, offering a grim and foreboding vision of London - also available on Sky Cinema and NOW [Read More...]

Songlap
Gangland, baby-trafficking drama from Malaysia returns to Switzerland - live from the Locarno Film Festival [Read More...]

Apparition (Aparisyon)
A self-contained nunnery finds itself intersecting with the forces of history in this mostly academic movie - running as part of Locarno Film Festival [Read More...]

Cinema meets fashion: Theodoros Angelopoulos and Rei Kawakubo
The late Greek filmmaker and the Japanese clothes designer have more in common than meets the eye: they both embrace austerity and reject the mainstream - argues Redmond Bacon in our first article for the brand new magazine DOESN'T EXIST [Read More...]

Creating political art behind bars
DMovies sat down with the Ukranian director Oleg Sentsov, recently out of Russian jail, about his latest film, an allegory about the abuse of power. [Read More...]

Making a guerrilla documentary in ultra-homophobic Chechnya
David France discusses his incredible work of investigative journalism, Welcome To Chechnya, focusing on real-life heroes saving LGBT people in the region. [Read More...]

Uppercase Print (Tipografic Majuscul)
Witness two different versions of Romania: the alienating secret state and the dynamic communist ideal - watch it online for free in December only with ArteKino [Read More...]

When Lambs Become Lions
Who is the lion and who is the lamb in Jon Kasbe's fearless When Lambs Become Lions? The answer may surprise you in these even-handed elephant poaching doc, in cinemas Friday February 14th [Read More...]

Ghost
Ghost, which turns 30 years old, isn't really about grief and transcendent love at all; I'm not impressed by the classic film - back in cinemas on Friday, February 14th [Read More...]

Midnight Traveller
Cinema verité doc immerses us into the heartbreak of the refugee experience and the immense resolve of those seeking a better life - in cinemas Friday, January 17th [Read More...]

El Topo
Fifty years later, cult classic is a one-of-a-kind experience, a unique take on the Western that shocks and beguiles in equal measure - in selected cinemas on Friday, January 10th [Read More...]

The Kingmaker
Extraordinary profile of Imelda Marcos, dubbed the "Marie Antoinette" of the Philippines due to her extravagant plundered wealth, is now available on VoD [Read More...]

Ruth
The struggle between Sporting Lisbon and Benfica to sign classic footballer Eusèbio becomes a metaphor for a changing Mozambique - watch it for free with ArteKino during the month of December [Read More...]

Pink Wall
Pink Wall is an ambitious non-linear romance entertaining enough on its own merits, but cannot seem to coelesce into a satisfying whole - now on VoD [Read More...]

The Street
A street in London becomes a metaphor for the failures of Tory austerity in this gripping documentary - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Rise of the Footsoldier 4: Marbella
Craig Fairbrass delivers a great performance as the terrifying Essex lad, in crime drama about ex-con who travels to Spain in search of drugs for his Southend nightclub - in cinemas sand digital on Friday, November 8th [Read More...]

Filmfarsi
Deep-dive into pre-revolutionary Iranian cinema, a world awash with sex and violence, in this doc revealing a new side to the misunderstood nation - from the Cambridge Film Festival [Read More...]

The dark humour of fatherhood
German film lays bare the awkwardness of fatherhood. We sat down with directors Henner Winckler and Ulrich Köhler to learn about their latest work! [Read More...]

24 Snow
Extremity becomes its own reward in this a loving depiction of rural life in one of the world's most inhospitable places - from the upcoming Native Spirit Festival [Read More...]

Discover Iceland in all its glory!
We sat down with Icelandic auteur Rúnar Rúnarsson to discuss Echo, covering everything from working with amateurs to the country's outstanding beauty! [Read More...]

Cinema that bites!
We sat down with the directing duo behind Space Dogs, an experimental and deeply disturbing doc depicting canine life in a never-seen-before way - live from Locarno [Read More...]

South Terminal (Terminal Sud)
Neither dramatic enough nor powerful enough to hold the viewer's interest, Swiss film wallows in vagueness when it should be ramping up the tension - live from Locarno [Read More...]

The Last Black Man In San Francisco
Both a celebration and lament for The City by the Bay, this film is also a deeply felt inquisition into the meaning of home - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Wilcox
Denis Côté's second film of 2019 is a silent tale of social isolation that sees the Quebec auteur pushing his minimalist approach to new limits - from the Cambridge Film Festival [Read More...]

Echo (Bergmál)
This surprisingly sentimental entry from Rúnar Rúnnarsson is an epic ode to his Icelandic homeland in equal parts funny and sad - now on Mubi [Read More...]

Notre Dame
See the Cathedral in its full glory for the last time in Valérie Donzelli's latest film; a breezy French comedy about womanhood and architecture - live from Locarno [Read More...]

A Voluntary Year (Das Freiwillige Jahr)
A drive to the airport turns hairy in awkward German black comedy A Voluntary Year, a brilliant tale of adolescent indecision and fatherly overbearance - live from Locarno [Read More...]

7500
7500 breathes new life into the plane hijacking thriller by confining all the action in just the cockpit itself. This is one wild ride you won't forget! [Read More...]

Space Dogs
Man's cruelty to man's best friend is merciless exposed in Russian film Space Dogs, one of the most bizarre documentaries ever made! On Mubi in September [Read More...]

Nimic
Greek auteur Yorgos Lanthimos shows his new short on Mubi, a strange provocation that needs to be watched again and again! [Read More...]

Adolescents (Adolescentes)
Five years in the making, Adolescentes is a remarkable achievement, charting two very different girls from 13 to 18 as they grow into maturity - on Mubi on July 9th [Read More...]

Maternal (Hogar)
What constitutes motherhood? This is the question Maternal (Hogar) wrestles with, a deeply Christian riff on the tale of the Virgin Mary! From the BFI London Film Festival [Read More...]

Last Night I Saw You Smiling (Yub menh bong keunh oun nho nhim)
A single building in Cambodia is used to interrogate a changing nation, in this quiet yet deeply affecting movie - live from Locarno [Read More...]

Notorious
The uncommonly powerful love scenes easily make this Hitchcock's most mature film. We go deep into the film noir, unlocking its striking romantic vision - back in cinemas on Friday, August 9th, more than 70 years after its original release [Read More...]

Our dirty picks from the upcoming Locarno Film Festival
We are looking out for the dirty gems from the eclectic programme at Locarno so you don't have to. They include the latest films by Tarantino, Kapadia, Kurosawa and many more! [Read More...]

Do The Right Thing
Three decades after its original release, Spike Lee's magnum opus has lost none of its power to provoke and delight in equal measure - back in cinemas on Friday, August 2nd [Read More...]

The Wedding Guest
Michael Winterbottom's latest action thriller is a travelogue of the world's second most populous nation, and it starts off very well before it descends into something predictable and trite - now also available on VoD [Read More...]

Don’t Look Now
Nicolas Roeg's horror masterpiece is back in cinemas nearly 50 years after its original release, and it remains a harrowing reminder of our impermanence, and the immutability of our future - out on Friday, July 5th [Read More...]

Vita and Virginia
Virginia Woolf has never been this dull and joyless before, in awful British biopic featuring a miscast Gemma Arterton and Elizabeth Debicki - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Amin
The harshness and poetry of immigrant life is empathetically rendered in this quiet slice-of-life drama about the power of human connection under difficult constraints - in cinemas Friday, June 21st [Read More...]

Halston
The eternal conflict between art and commerce is stylishly presented in this documentary, charting the rise and fall of one of the US's top fashion designers - in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]

Kind Hearts and Coronets
British comedy still retains the ability to pierce right through the rotten heart of the country's class system - 70th anniversary edition of Ealing Studios' classic is in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]

Last Summer
Four boys in the Welsh countryside of the 1970s grapple with an unexpected tragedy, and face the premature tensions of adulthood, in a film with strong echoes of Boyz n The Hood - in cinemas Friday, June 7th [Read More...]

A Vigilante
A victim of domestic abuse turns into for-hire vigilante, in this satisfying American revenge tale - in cinemas and also on digital HD on Friday, May 31st. [Read More...]

Monty Python’s Life of Brian
Redmond Bacon argues that the British comedy is a prescient denunciation of populism and the "blithering idiots" leading the world - dirty classic is back in cinemas on Good Friday (April 7th) [Read More...]

Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story
Tender portrait of iconic ballet dancer doubles up as an exploration of fatherhood and also of the artist's home nation Cuba - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Last Breath
Documentary follows the tragic predicament underwater oil worker with just minutes of oxygen left to survive after his equipment breaks down - in cinemas Friday, Apriil 5th [Read More...]

A Clockwork Orange
As Stanley Kubrick's ultraviolent and dystopian crime thriller hits UK cinemas almost five decades after its original release, Redmond Bacon investigates what's beneath the surface - out on Friday, April 5th [Read More...]

Maiden
Sailing against the current! Doc about first all-women crew of an around-the-world yacht race is an ode to female perseverance in a macho world - on VoD Monday, September 30th [Read More...]

Once Upon a Time in London
British gangster movie has historical depth, but it's ultimately watered down by down by a run-of-the-mill script and countless cliches - on Netflix from January 11th [Read More...]

Piercing
Director of The Eyes of My Mother returns with a tribute to giallo bursting with extravagant aesthetics and vivid tunes, while also lacking some substance - on Shudder on June 1st [Read More...]

América
Simple and uplifting documentary takes an an affecting look at the complexities of end-of-life care in Mexico - in cinemas Friday, February 8th [Read More...]

The Raft
Is this Big Brother's grandfather? The surviving members of a very strange social experiment are brought together nearly a century later: the 11 strangers were made to live on a raft for three months cut off from the rest of the world - now available on VoD [Read More...]

The House By The Sea (La Villa)
A father’s legacy is minutely dissected in this stirring tale of regret, nostalgia and the true meaning of community spirit - in cinemas Friday, January 11th [Read More...]

Santa Claus (Le Père Noël)
A petty criminal disguised as Santa Claus learns the true meaning of Christmas, in festive French comedy that never overstays its welcome - out on VoD on Monday, December 17th (with Walk This Way) [Read More...]

Free Solo
Ain't no mountain high enough? Extreme climber wants to become the first person to achieve an impressive feat, with very little concern for the possible consequences of his actions - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Flemish Heaven (Le Ciel Flamand)
Set in a brothel on the French-Belgian border, queasy tale asks difficult questions about parenthood and responsibility - available throughout December on ArteKino [Read More...]

Back to Berlin
Detailing the journey of 11 bikers taking the torch to the 2015 European Maccabi games in Berlin, sombre documentary lays bare the worst atrocity to ever occur in human history - now available on VoD [Read More...]

Becoming Animal
This is NOT your average Planet Earth episode... based on David Abram's reflections on how humans have evolved differently from other animals, doc raises questions about the relation between technology and nature - in cinemas from Thursday, November 22nd [Read More...]

The Workshop (L’atelier)
Angry without a cause? Teacher has to grapple with student's "white anxiety" and latent nationalism, as she attempts to help younger people to integrate into the world of work - French drama in cinemas Friday, November 16th [Read More...]

Free Lunch Society (Komm Komm Grundeinkommen)
What if everyone was entitled to "free" money, regardless of work? Doc investigates the concept of Universal Basic Income, and the successful pilots across the globe - from Walk This Way VoD [Read More...]

Step Up The Plate (Entre Les Bras)
The legacy of a family restaurant is explored in this French documentary, that is as much about fatherhood as it is about cooking - now available with Walk This Way VoD [Read More...]

King of Crime
An entertaining British crime caper with more twists and turns than most television series, plus offering a refreshing way forward for old-school British gangsters movies, is out in cinemas Friday, November 2nd [Read More...]

Our dirty questions to Alberto Sciamma
We spoke to the Spanish director of I Love My Mum, a British comedy laced with sociopolitical undertones, Brexit tropes and jokes about nationalism, plus it's also a picturesque tour of Europe and North Africa - the film premieres at the Cambridge Film Festival [Read More...]

I Love My Mum
British comedy about haggling mother and son accidentally shipped to Morocco humanises refugees and also functions as a trope for Brexit; it's a real delight to watch - in cinemas Friday, May 31st [Read More...]

How Ally’s father is crucial to the success of his daughter
Our writer takes a dirty look at the third remake of the Hollywood classic A Star is Born, and reveals why the paternal figure, played by Andrew Dice Clay, remains instrumental to the protagonist, played by a dazzling Lady Gaga  [Read More...]

Life Feels Good (Chce Sie Zyc)
Polish film depicts disability in a candid and positive light, without shying away from more difficult topics such as sexuality - watch it now with Walk This Way [Read More...]

Kusama – Infinity
Japanese artist who arrived in New York in the 1950s challenged the male orthodoxy of the art world; her highly stylised, Pop-Art like patterns are perfect for the Instagram age - in cinemas Friday, October 5th [Read More...]

Burkinabé Rising 
People have the power! Doc reveals that a grassroots revolution transformed Burkina Faso in a real democracy, and how the surrounding art world helped to articulate the resistance - from the Native Spirit Film Festival taking place between October 10th and 21st [Read More...]

Matangi Maya M.I.A.
The London-born incendiary singer of Sri Lankan origin has always been caught between two worlds, and she is now the subject of what's possibly the best documentary of the year - out on VoD on Monday, December 10th. [Read More...]

One Wild Moment (Un Moment d’Égarement)
One move is all it takes! Vincent Cassel plays a fundamentally decent man whose life is turned upside down due to one single extraordinarily bad mistake, in French genre-bender - streaming now with DMovies [Read More...]

Under The Wire
Marie Colvin dedicated her life to extreme journalism for selfless reasons instead of career ambitions; now the "Wonder Woman" becomes the subject of a documentary that raises key questions about the role of the media in conflict zones - in cinemas Friday, September 7th. [Read More...]

What Keeps You Alive
Canadian filmmaker (who also happens to be one half of The Vicious Brothers) twists traditional woods horror story to convincing results - in cinemas and also on VoD on Friday, August 24th (US viewers) and as part of FrightFest on August 25th (UK viewers) [Read More...]

Bad Samaritan
American horror-thriller starring David Tennant about a well-intentioned criminal faced with a very unusual situation moves in more ways than one, a little bit like in a chess game - in cinemas Friday, August 24th [Read More...]

Rondo
Not a surefire recipe for a dirty movie! Extreme tale of sex and violence has very little to say and even less to show, and it's contrary to the teachings of Godard - from the Fantasia Film Festival [Read More...]

I Can Quit Whenever I Want (Smetto Quando Voglio)
Cash-strapped academics take arms in order to make ends meet, in Italian blend of gangster and comedy with flavours of Guy Ritchie and plenty of social commentary - available for digital streaming on July 9th as part of the Walk This Way collection [Read More...]

Look the other way!
Egyptian filmmaker Abu Bakr Shawky challenges the conformism of cinema by casting a different gaze at actors with leprosy and various disabilities in his film YOMEDDINE; he talks to us about selecting the actors, filming and why cinema should be bold! [Read More...]

The Bachelors
When life (and a film) becomes insufferable! Drama dealing with mental health issues and starring Julie Delpy is well-intentioned but also so riddled with clichés it's hardly bearable to watch - in cinemas March 30th [Read More...]

Gook
Two Korean-American shop runners befriend a Black girl during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, in a film with strong echoes of Spike Lee's Do The Right Thing - on DVD and all major VoD platforms on April 9th [Read More...]

Yugo-nostalgia checks into the present!
Swiss-born director Nicolas Wagnières talks about his film Hotel Jugoslavija and the Balkans, a region grappling with nostalgia of a defunct country as well as the rise of nationalism [Read More...]

A Symphony of Summits: The Alps from Above (Die Alpen: Unsere Berge von Oben )
Climb ev'ry mountain! Take a vertiginous look at a range system that spreads across multiple nations and epitomises Europe like no other - out on VoD as part of the Walk This Way Collection on March 5th [Read More...]

The Russian filmmaker who shot Elvis!
Read our exclusive interview with Aleksei German Jr., the director of Sergei Dovlatov's biopic, whom he describes as "the Elvis Presley of Russian literature" [Read More...]