Christian Swegal’s first film Sovereign is a film based on the story of Jerry and Joe Kane, members of the sovereign citizen movement that shot and killed two police officers back in 2010 in West Memphis, Arkansas.
Working across genre is one of the many challenges that Will Tudor is passionate about exploring. He is not only building his film and TV credits by picking versatile projects but is also pushing him to keep growing as an actor.
Explore JFK’s assassination through Ruth Paine’s lens in ‘The Assassination & Mrs. Paine.’ FRONTRUNNER discusses truth amid disinformation.
Student films are often overlooked as amateur, receiving little to no attention, even within the film community, but these short films often allow young directors to showcase their abilities before they have the financing for feature-length projects.
Ewan Mitchell is no stranger to our screens at this point. Most known for his portrayal of Aemond Targaryen in HBO mega hit House of
As I’ve gotten older, it has become increasingly more important for me to understand the methods, processes, and systems of organization involved in bringing something
In this hard hitting documentary, the people of Latin America recall years of political repression and “random disappearances” done by right-wing dictatorships in various countries during the 70s and 80s.
At 93, she landed her first feature leading role and is nowhere near done. June Squibb and director Josh Margolin introduce us to ‘Thelma.’
Viggo Mortensen steps behind the camera for his second directorial outing for a bold, unflinching Western called The Dead Don’t Hurt.
People may recognise her for being Topol’s granddaughter, but Yali Topol Margalith is, in fact, much more than her grandfather’s legacy.
Mastering the art of documentary filmmaking takes a lot of falling down and getting back up. Yet, director Jeffrey Schwarz has made a name for himself in the genre for shedding light onto untold histories.
Our Film Editor speaks with Welsh actor Paul Rhys on his triple-film run with featured roles in Saltburn, Napoleon and Men Up.
FRONTRUNNER meets cinematographer Magdalena Górka, whose credits include ‘The Fablemans’, ‘Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ and ‘Doom Patrol’.
Signe Baumane calls romantic love, “the most overhyped human emotion.” Her latest film, My Love Affair With Marriage, also concerns itself with love, but takes
Every summer, the front pages of newspapers around the world are filled with images of wildfires. Burning through millions of acres of land a year,
After being diagnosed with systemic scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease, filmmaker Ken August Meyer found himself reexamining the works of 20th century Swiss-German artist Paul
If you’re not familiar with the neo-noir, queer thriller genre, you’re about to be. FRONTRUNNER meets directors Sam Freeman and Ng Choon Ping, exploring groundbreaking onscreen territory with their debut feature film.
When you hear the phrase “homeowner association,” what do you picture? Perhaps it is a council of stuffy suburbanites making rules on everything from the
In Korean, the word “ajoomma” is used to refer to a middle-aged married woman and can loosely be translated as “madam” or “Auntie.” It also
Strawberry Mansion is a fantasy film set in 2035, following the curious journey of dream auditor and taxman James Preble (played by writer-director Kentucker Audley).
Inspired by Haruki Murakami’s short stories, Pierre Földes’ debut feature animation film, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, is surreal, melancholic, dreamlike, and eternally meditative.
Name an art form, and Milorad Krstic will have studied and mastered it. He is a Slovenian painter, film director, visual artist, sculptor, author, illustrator,
In his latest documentary film, RONNIE’S, writer-director Oliver Murray chronicles the life story of Ronnie Scott, the legendary founder of his eponymous jazz club in London.
Fire of Love tells the larger than life love story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, the French volcanologist couple who lost their lives in a
Actor and director Leah Purcell’s debut feature, The Drover’s Wife: Legend of Molly Johnson, reimagines Henry Lawson’s short story about protecting loved ones, without romanticising male gender roles, in 19th-century Western Australia.
Acclaimed director Jean-Jacques Annaud speaks to FRONTRUNNER about history, the admiration of faith, the magic of cinema, and his newest film, Notre Dame on Fire.
When someone says “The American Dream”, we think of a white picket fence. But the expression “Chinese Dream”? We won’t know where to begin. ASCENSION is director Jessica Kingdon’s debut documentary feature.
Belgian actress Virginie Efira plays Benedetta Carlini, a 17th century nun entangled in a taboo, lesbian love affair in Paul Verhoeven’s eponymous film.
Alex Hassell’s resumé is admirable. With so many performances to discuss, we settle on Joel Coen’s ‘Tragedy of Macbeth’, where he plays alongside a few recognisable names such as Frances McDormand and Denzel Washington.
FRONTRUNNER meets director Julia Ducournau and finds out more about her latest film, Titane, winner of this year’s Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Our FALL 2021 Cover Story: An interview with Romanian director Alexander Nanau on his double-Academy Award-nominated documentary feature, COLLECTIVE, and how national scandals can – and should – inspire public activism.
Nearly everyone, unfortunately, has heard of Ted Bundy before. Let’s hope director Amber Sealey’s ‘No Man Of God’ is the last Ted Bundy film. Ever.
Shen Xin’s work examines and fabricates techniques and effects of how emotion, politics, identity, gender and ethics circulate through individual and collective subjects.
Stacey Maltin and Margarita Zhitnikova, the founders of New York-based production company Besties Make Movies, present their first feature film, Triple Threat.
Johnny Flynn, artistic polymath and true Renaissance man, wandered the Sacred Forest and explored the oldest piece of literature to find inspiration for his fifth album, Lost in the Cedar Wood.
FRONTRUNNER presents an exclusive interview with Malia Scharf and filmmaker Max Basch on their documentary When Worlds Collide: Kenny Scharf.
FRONTRUNNER’S Winter 2021 Cover Feature: Oscar-Winning Actress and Producer Octavia Spencer, in her own words.
For our Fall 2020 cover feature, FRONTRUNNER presents an exclusive interview with Adrien Brody, and exclusive photography by Chad Moore.
FRONTRUNNER speaks to the creators of the Netflix series ‘Sunderland Till I Die’, revealing the trials and woes of the English football club.
FRONTRUNNER gets a closer look at Us Kids, a documentary following the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School massacre.
FRONTRUNNER shares a one-on-one with Scottish actor/musician Hans Matheson on life in the film industry and new frontiers into music-making.
She knew from a young age that good behavior and following social conventions are not her routes to success, which is why she went the
Emily Ann Hoffmann introduces her stop-motion animated film ‘Blackheads’, which made its digital premiere on MailChimp Presents SXSW 2020 Shorts.
British filmmaker Toby Aimes chats with FRONTRUNNER about his filmmaking process and a deep dive into documenting the progressive rock band King Crimson.
Mexican producer Mónica Cortina Mariscal talks about the experience of working with Guillermo Arriaga on his 2019 short film No One Left Behind.
BAFTA-Winning Irish screenwriter/director Aisling Walsh looks back at her career and how lockdown during the pandemic has ignited her creativity, even more.
FRONTRUNNER meets Polish director Natasza Parzymies and discovers her smash-hit, groundbreaking LGBTQ web series CONTROL.
Kiwi Writer/director Cathy MacDonald spent nearly a decade in the UK, writing and directing promos and commercials for everyone from Disney to the BBC.
Quebecois filmmaker Sophie Bédard Marcotte goes searching for Miranda July in her 2019 documentary film, L.A. Tea Time. FRONTRUNNER learns more.
Four young women promote body positivity, joining the fight against a fat-phobic world in Louise Deltefsen and Louise Kjeldsen’s documentary Fat Front.
Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always is Eliza Hittman’s third feature film, telling the story of a teenage girl forced to travel from rural Pennsylvania to New York City to access an abortion.
Katie Armstrong is a multi-disciplinary animator who hand-paints frames, writes poetry, sings songs, and plays the music which all comprise her video works. FRONTRUNNER saw her incredible work on display at The Armory Show 2020.
The documentary Shadow Flowers tells the story of a North Korean housewife, Ryun-hee Kim, who involuntarily becomes a South Korean citizen. Duped by a Chinese broker, she travels to South Korea to earn money.
Facts transmit their own kind of alchemy to a story. A writer easily could have invented the plot of Andrew Heckler’s debut film BURDEN, but we’d never believe it.
Sentenced to her Summer holidays in a fat camp by her absent parents, bashful Young-shin experiences a sexual awakening. Freckles (주근깨) is a bittersweet tale of first love quickly found and painfully lost.
Hard-of-hearing Yeon-hee reluctantly starts at a new school. She makes an awkward first impression in class, garnering the attention of the fanciful Young-jin. When they bunk off school and spend the day together, an inevitable romance blossoms.
Marshawn Lynch, the twice-retired running back who played for the Oakland Raiders, spent his time in the NFL pissing off fans and press alike for his reluctance to participate in the media attention naturally visited on celebrity players.
Best known for his industrial sculptures and metal work, Richard Serra first picked up a 16mm camera only two years after completing his first physical artwork. That first film, Hand Catching Lead (1968), kicked off the complete retrospective of his film and video work at New York’s Anthology Film Archives, this October.
A FRONTRUNNER Exclusive: Jameson Rich interviews Faith Soloway on ‘Transparent’, Jewish influences, the use of humor when tackling serious issues, and whether the form of the movie-musical can still survive.
It takes a daring director to envisage a charming tale of little white lies, but Lulu Wang’s morally ambiguous and emotionally justifiable dramedy, ‘The Farewell’, comes from a place of unquestionable honesty: true life.
On the green landscapes of Kingston highs, a band of singers gather up for the record of a new album. More than 30 years after their golden age, they are back on a World Tour. Inna De Yard is the human adventure of men and women who embody Reggae and wear Jamaica’s soul as a banner.
In the sleepy town of Centerville, something is not quite right. The moon hangs large and low in the sky, the hours of daylight are becoming unpredictable, and animals are beginning to exhibit unusual behaviors. No one quite knows why. But no one foresees the strangest and most dangerous repercussion that will soon start plaguing Centerville: The Dead Don’t Die.
The Raindance Film Festival was founded in 1992 by Elliot Grove as a thought experiment: can you make a film with no money, no training and no experience? Based in the heart of London, Raindance combines Raindance Film Festival, training courses, and BIFA (British Independent Film Awards).
We all like to imagine what would happen if we could read people’s minds. Peggy (Or: The Art of Coveting in the Age of Social Media) gives us an idea of this, with all the local parents in a community going to a child’s birthday party.
Fall On Your Sword is home to composer and founder Will Bates and executive producer Lucy Alper. They create music for film, television, and branded advertising alongside interactive art installations, namely, with the SPRING BREAK Art Show.
SXSW Grand Prize Winner ‘Alice’ tells the story of a woman who goes down the rabbit hole when she is abandoned and betrayed by her husband.
In what can nearly be described as a fairy tale of the theatre, All The World’s A Stage is the story of a brilliant actor beloved because of his special crown.
Written, produced and directed by emerging filmmaker Joshua Kennedy, House of the Gorgon is an unabashed love note to the vintage Hammer Horror film sub-genre.
Aspiring YouTuber Vendela decides to get up in front of her high school class and shows a disturbing video that disrupts the lesson and causes her teacher to fear for her life.
A boy has a chance encounter with a young woman from a different culture than his, but the two learn that they share a common bond: their hair and the sacred nature culture and society places upon it.
While at home in her apartment with her own mother in Spain, a woman gets a phone call from her six-year-old son, who’s on vacation in France with his father. What ensues is an expertly crafted and uncommonly intense thriller based on every parent’s nightmare.
Rakan Mayasi’s short film Bonbone tells the story of two lovers who come up with an unconventional way to have a child when the husband is imprisoned in an Israeli jail.
Jake Nielsen’s short film-musical about the choice between following your dreams and making next week’s rent.
Producing a documentary film, whether a short film, television broadcast, or theatrical feature is no small accomplishment. But, as we know from past columns and interviews with filmmakers, this is only half the battle. The second half is equally daunting: distribution.
Wale tells the story of a young boy in London who is trying to get his life on the right track, but finds himself at the mercy of a sinister plot. It has been screened at the Arizona Film Festival, the Brooklyn Film Festival and the Norwich Film Festival.
An adolescent boy attempts to untangle his memories of a mysterious infestation, the unraveling of his father, and the little creatures inside us all.
A story of a young woman’s quest to become a French citizen against the backdrop of her Cameroonian heritage.
In a special guest post, Fraser McCallum takes an inside look at Peter Jackson’s groundbreaking WWI documentary, produced in cooperation with the Imperial War Museum, 14-18 NOW and the BBC.
We all have dreamed at one time or another about entering another world and making the stories we see in movies and books become real.
Nikolai Gogol’s classic short story, “The Overcoat,” is retold in a visually stunning film of the same name. In a story that takes the classic proverb, “Clothes make the man” to heart.
The short film 2nd Class (or Second Class) tells the story of a young teacher, Charlotte, who learns the horrors of prejudice firsthand when she
A break-up is never easy to go through. It might be the end of the story, but it can also be the start of a
Most of us have heard the classic riddle. A farmer needs to transport a fox, a rabbit, and a cabbage across a river, but only
In this stop-motion feature, one woman and one man, both made of clay, contemplate the consequences that come out of the choices we make out of life.
I love writing stories about women, and I have a dark sense of humor and like quirky character pieces so I immediately wanted to write a story about these unlikely heroines.
I think writing the essay, making this film, talking about my experiences, and helping others has been instrumental in my healing journey. I think it gave me a lot of confidence and hope in my physical and emotional progress.
Trust your gut, if you love something – do it and fight for your dreams even if they seem impossible. Elle is my battle cry to children to inspire them to keep going in what they love – no matter what gets in the way.
For a child, going to the doctor can be a nightmare. Even as an adult, one diagnosis can change your life. Just imagine being diagnosed
Back when Terry Rossio was in college, he came across a newspaper article that said some rich guy would reward $100,000 to anyone who could prove the existence of a soul.
I saw that there was little or no live action footage of wire walking so set about researching the art form more. This led me to find Mirette On the High Wire.
Over the years, most of the films we’ve looked at and interviewed for have been shorts. For the first time, we’ve looked at a full-length
I find it a great source of shame that our nation, one of the leading economies in the world, is doing so little to help the situation it bears some responsibility for creating, and arguably profits from.
Most people understand that women are exploited throughout the world but we rarely put a face on people who go through this.
90% of deaf children are born to hearing parents – this is such a common issue.
I believe deep down we really want to be part of a strong community – trust each other and be kind to one another. But could I stand up for a stranger when someone is pointing the gun at my kid?
We can turn on the news every day and see images of black men and women being gunned down or beaten by the police. As I was writing my script, I began to grow tired of those images and felt they didn’t serve any purpose or elevate black people in any way.
I wanted my first film to be somehow personal.
I don’t believe life always has a resolution for you. Especially when you live in a country like China. Things you set out to do or problem you set out to solve, don’t always have a solution in the end.
“The Newspaperman,” by its own admission, “…maybe the best example of what journalists can accomplish when given resources and encouraged to shoot for excellence.”
You can be in the best physical condition, but if you cannot fund the expedition, you will stay home. You can have the best logistics on the starting line, if you are not physically prepared to survive in Antarctica, you will likely be home sooner than expected.
“I like to think of it as an ode to the power of standing up united. A study of how ‘divide and conquer’ works on a small scale and how it could be defeated in an ideal world,” says film director Kristof Deak.
I wanted his works to take the foreground but found myself having to create a few visual motifs for some of the music compositions so I tried to make visuals that are more abstract and open-ended that wouldn’t take the viewer’s focus off the music but might give them some subtext for the composition.
The film balances Calatrava as artist, architect, and engineer. But, most importantly, asks more questions than leaves answers. Is enigma a part of the art? Must we inhabit something in order to create it? What is it to find our own language, independent from schools or tendencies?
After an accident report obliges Luna to watch old security footage, she notices that Diego secretly likes to dance when he thinks nobody is watching, instigating a series of the two making pseudo-dance videos for each other to watch on the security camera, which they access through the use of the titular timecode.
The film speaks about loneliness, the power of imagination and the faith in love.
The true story of how one man defies critics to create change and bring human rights issues into the mainstream..
The biggest challenge in making this documentary for the past two years has been figuring out how to gather the funds… I seemed to be stuck in a chicken-and-egg situation where I needed to show the film to receive funding, but I couldn’t make the film without funding.
We’re living in a New New York, and films set in this New New York have a gloss that I don’t think is what the origin of film in New York is about. I’m not into nostalgia, or even that into tradition, but I am into ethos.
We believe Van’s story is extra poignant because she is an immigrant and came to the United States with the assumption that she would be working in a safe environment. Audiences are very inspired by Van’s journey, because she transforms from a nail salon worker to an advocate.
This process forces me to continue drawing, and not get distracted by operating the camera or deciding when the next frame will be captured.
I wanted the film to be much more of a character piece than a broad statement regarding global issues of environmentalism. As a filmmaker, it’s great to see the film function in a variety of contexts and with a variety of messages depending on what perspective the viewer brings to the film.
I respect both sides’ willingness to go outside the accepted legal channels to express themselves, but the buffers seem to think they have societal support behind them.
It’s an incredibly nuanced sport that most people in the U.S. haven’t seen at this level.
I’ll never forget the feeling of driving through the oil fields at night for the first time. It was like an otherworldly invasion with lights from oil rigs beaming in distant wheat fields and flames bursting out of the ground.
My work is a study and meditation into the slippery notion of American identity, quietly for myself to process, and publicly to contribute what the process yields.
Ben Saunders embarks on a 1,800-mile journey on foot to the South Pole to retrace the ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition led a century ago by Captain Robert Falcon Scott.
Leslie Tai is a second-generation Chinese-American filmmaker. In her short documentary film, Grave Goods, the director pays homage to her grandmother with a sensitive reflection on mourning and remembrance.
Michael Fasciano is a filmmaker and media strategist who recently completed his latest documentary, Hearts of Courage. The short film follows the medical group Team Heart. The film covers their mission and annual surgical trip to Rwanda.
They love makeup, fashion, and anything that sparkles. However, unlike Miss America, at a size 22 the only doors open to them are in the plus size pageant world…
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