By Sanyukta Thakare “Adventure Boyz” will take you on an innocent bike ride down the familiar path, reminding you of the happy old days. But ex motorcycle speedway champ Mike Harris, does not have the same carefree experience in the story. We meet Mike who has given all his life to his passion and hopes…
By Sanyukta Thakare The Prison Within is about taking a long and hard look at yourself and separating you from your actions to gain and better perspective and take on responsibility. The documentary explores the destructive impact untreated trauma has on individuals and communities through the powerful stories of survivors of violent crimes and prisoners…
By Vernon Nickerson America has the highest expectations for the uber- talented athlete, the high-performing iconoclasts and innovators who literally often change the way a particular sport is played. When performing at their peak, theses athletes are in equal parts feared, respected and held in awe by fans. Whether or not it is fair, these…
By Sanyukta Thakare Ask No Questions takes a serious look at the power of media under the control of an authoritarian figure like the government. By following the story of a Chen Ruichang who refused to give up his belief, the film also reminds us the truth will prevail, one way or other. What’s shocking is, this…
Goalie blurs the line between real and reel from the start, we get to see the best and the worst of Terry Sawchuk’s life as it passes by in the memories of those who lived and played with him. Terry had a troubled pasted, but nobody knew how it affected him until after the end.…
By Sanyukta Thakare SANZARU is a Gothic tale, a journey to the heart of a haunted house. A house haunted, as much by death, as by secrets. Sanzaru does not belong in your immediate ideas of horror, there are no creepy faces or bodies lurking in the dark. Instead, we meet the demons of…
By Steven Buckner When I first saw Director Aaron With’s Out Of Tune, I have to admit that I never saw a movie like this and that is a good thing. It is a story about a civilization that worships a musical chord. One might think how can a civilization worship a musical chord. Well…
By Vernon Nickerson Murmur, a film written and directed by Heather Young, making its debut at the 2020 Slamdance Film Festival, takes an intimate look at the intersections between 1. a lonely and heartsick mother who longs to love and be loved in return, 2. the substances the mother has used to numb her pain,…
By Monteque Pope-Le Beau Director Alonso Llosa’s tragicomedy La Restauración will have its World Premiere at the 2020 Santa Barbara International Film Festival. La Restauración is a poignant cautionary tale about excess, greed, disillusionment and elitism. The story takes place in a period of rapid urban growth in Peru when money is flowing freely allowing…
By Vernon Nickerson Ouch! That’s what many black preachers jokingly tell their congregants to shout when the sermon is directly applicable to their lives. i.e., stepping on their toes. As a second-year special education teacher at an inner-city Title 1 school, “Ouch!” was my immediate reaction to Erica Tremblay’s visually powerful short, “Little Chief”, from…
